Heartbeat
by hoshiko2kokoro
Summary: Done with his duties, Sora returns home only to receive a curse from Xemnas that leads him to happiness. However, now the Keyblade Master has to deal with a new type of enemy, his own peers in high school.  RS  PostKH2
1. Chapter 1

hoshiko's note: So this is my first fanfic and I'm kind of attached to this. It's like my baby. It'll take awhile to get others up, but I really hope you enjoy it. If you don't like pairings, there will be other stories I have in mind to publish that won't be pairings. (I'm kind of embaressed even _writing_ one U)

Special thanks goes out to my lovely "little sister" Yami, whom I adore with all my heart. She's under OhMeGawd and you should all read her glorious stuff.

Reviews loved, criticism needed, flames ignored. (And yeah, I know I didn't do a marvelous job on Xemnas. It was hard to do for the situation he's in...)

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_Chapter 1_

It seemed so much longer than a year ago when the darkness devoured the islands and everything else that Sora had known in his life. He thought he had lost it all; his family, his friends, his home. Working and fighting and believing so hard paid off when, in the end, he had gained everything and more back from his experience.

_I'm not afraid of the darkness! Sora… So, this is the key? All for one and one for all! And right now my conscience is telling me you're on the wrong side! Instead of asking about them, shouldn't you be asking about _her_? Kairi's a princess?! Giving up already? C'mon Sora, I thought you were stronger than that._

_Take care of her._

Riku's lonely words gave Sora the courage to keep going. He had to see Riku again, had to bring him home, had to get home himself. Sora agreed to helping Donald and Goofy find their king as well. He promised Kairi he'd return to her someday.

_Static memory. Something's missing. Thank Namine._

Ah yes, the wonderfully mysterious Namine, whom Sora still didn't understand well enough to think about her, but he knew who she really was. He felt light hearted to know Kairi worked just as hard to see him again too as he had for her.

_You…were never meant to exist._

Not his memory, but his memory. He understood it as being his other memory. Roxas was his nobody, the repercussions of sacrificing his life for Kairi. He wished he knew more about this other side of his heart, but Roxas was now locked away.

_For you see…Nobody's do not truly exist. The Keyblade…a truly _marvelous_ weapon… were it only in more _capable_ hands. Roxas, come back to us! But what you actually fought was his Heartless. He wasn't really named Ansem; he just went around tellin' everybody that he was! We'll be the darkness…_

Upon returning to his home, his parents wept for joy. They didn't know where he had been, but they never questioned it. It was okay, but only just so. Simply teetering on the edge of wrong, yet no one said a word. Not even Selphie, Tidus, or Wakka. They were just glad to see their friends again.

That's right. Sora wasn't the only one who came home. He had first found Kairi, leaving her safe on the islands to await his return. Then he found his best friend, Riku.

_We'll go together._

Those words still affected Riku. The ultimate words of forgiveness. Everyday he tried so hard to make-up for his mistakes. Only Sora and Kairi knew what was really up while everyone else teased Riku for his new quiet side. His eyes and demeanor held such a guiltiness to them that it was painful to watch him live his life. Like he didn't feel right being back in the Realm of Light.

To make up for his betrayal he decided he'd do everything in his power to help Sora and Kairi in their new found relationship. Sora may have promised to take care of Kairi, but who would ensure he didn't slack? Even if he was the Keyblade master and the hero of dozens of worlds, he still had a teenaged life to now live out.

Their duties done, for now, the trio settled back into their old lives. Old lives? No, this was their new life with a secret past. They all agreed they would never tell their friends or their parents. Things like that were better left unspoken. Sure, it was a little strange for Sora and Riku to return with another year added onto them without an explanation. Sora was taller and had reached puberty and Riku had lost his outward cockiness. It would pop-up from time to time, especially when with Sora, but never around anyone else.

The only problem was that their trials were not done. In a last ditch effort to spite Sora, a certain leader of an Organization sent a curse upon the spiky-haired warrior. Too bad it would become a blessing.

Word spread around the island very quickly; it was small enough for such a thing to happen. Girls seemed to form out of bushes and guys poked around corners curiously. It couldn't have happened. No one could believe it, yet there it was with their own eyes.

Sora and Kairi were officially a couple? No way.

"_It's not true, is it Riku?" "How?!" "It's a joke, right? Someone lost a bet?" "I think I'm going to cry…"_

Riku never did well with hysterical females. He did his best to keep their harsh comments and fangirlish fantasies away from the couple. It was all he felt he could do, for now. The boys were no better.

"_He's too short!" "HOW?!" "Why would such a flower like Kairi go for _him_?!"_

Sadly, on many occasions Riku got into a lot of mess with the boys for the things they said about Sora. He would not hear of his best friend getting put down. If only they knew…

"You look tired, Riku."

The trio was walking home from their school. Kairi and Sora routinely held hands now, but today Kairi was busy catching up on her Literature studies. All three of them had quite a lot of catching up on to, Sora more than the others thanks to his lack of note-taking in Math.

Riku smirked lazily at his friend. "Not used to working on school work. Gotta get back into the routine."

"Tell me about it!" Kairi piped up suddenly. "When I first came back it was a _nightmare_ trying to explain to everyone what happened, where you two were, and keep up on my studies. Not to mention dealing with your parents freaking out on me."

Sora noticed Riku wince a bit, but only for a brief second. It was getting easier for the sixteen-year old to hide his pain. The brunette was the only one who could see it. After their time on the dark beach, he knew better. It would take a lot for the silver haired boy to recover.

"That reminds me… My parents are gonna kill me if I don't get home soon," Sora moaned.

Not that he wasn't happy to see his parents, it's just that they turned into very protective parental units ever since his return. He missed their old carefree days when they would let him sleep on an abandoned island with another girl and boy without a question as to when he'd return. Those were the days.

_We may never see our parents again…_

Sora glanced up at his friend. He patted him on the shoulder and managed a smile. "Come by later, okay? I need help in Math."

"And Science, and History, and Literature, and-"

"I'm not that behind!"

The trio laughed. It felt like old times. Felt, but wasn't. Knowing that feeling left a horrible hole in their hearts. And Riku took all the blame.

"Actually, why don't you come over now?" Riku raised an eyebrow at Sora. _You don't have to be alone in your pain, buddy._ Riku understood and nodded. His body language thankful for the relief as it relaxed.

Kairi sighed sadly. "I wish I could join, but father has something in store for me. I'm not sure what, but he says it's important that I get home as soon as possible from school."

"It's okay." Sora clenched Kairi's hand in his lovingly. She flashed a smile at him. "If you get out early enough, come on over. My parents would love to see you again."

"Thanks!" The redhead waved to Riku who returned the gesture. "See ya!"

She ran off in the other direction clutching her bag to her arm. The two boys continued on their way to the seaside house of Sora's. Along the way, Kairi felt something in her heart begin to thump. It got louder and louder. Her heart faltered making her tumble down. Something unfamiliar and horribly evil was swallowing her heart. Something a girl of her purity should not have in her body.

Darkness.

The young girl struggled to free herself, but she didn't know how to fight this enemy. It didn't eat her or even try. Instead, it replaced her. She felt herself still lying on the ground, but watched as her body sat up. It had an evil smile to it. It looked down at her hands.

_Get out of my body!_

The alien in her body chuckled with glee. It sounded oddly familiar. Didn't she encounter this creature once before? A… nobody? Why was it in her heart? How did it get there? Namine? No, Namine was pure like her. Then what was an evil nobody doing using her body? How did it get there?

_My little magic trick worked. Thanks for that one, Ansem the Wise…_

That's where she knew the feeling from!

_You're…Xemnas aren't you?_

_Good to know you're quick. That'll be easier for me to play as you._

_What?!_

_My trick was to get into the heart of the closest person to Sora. Now that little brat will pay…_

_Don't touch him!_

_Wouldn't dream of it, princess. I'm just going to rip out his heart and deny him of any happiness. It's a pleasure to know I'll be bringing it to you as well. This makes my last attempt at life worth it._

_Please! Don't!_

_Aw, how cute. You're being polite? A princess to the end, huh? Well, into the darkness you go little princess. Enjoy it. I know my master did…_

The evil chuckle followed Kairi down into the darkness. She grabbed a hold of all her light. She would need it to keep herself somewhat in control. She was able to watch the events unfold. The poor girl watched as her body headed to her house where she rudely turned her foster father down for the new dress he had bought her and then insulted Selphie on the phone.

Things were only going to get worse.

♥

"You didn't have to do this, you know?" Riku asked as he sat on the floor.

"Nonsense! I love having you over! Who else will play video games with me for hours on end and talk about nothing into the night?" Sora had flopped onto his bed happily with his head dangling upside down off the side of the bed. He smirked at Riku upside down. "Besides, you didn't need to go home."

"My parents would like to see me too, ya know?"

"If they miss you they can call you." Sora spun around so he was now on his belly. "So! What do you wanna do first?! You name it and we'll do it!"

Riku was silent for a few minutes. His eyes looked so closed, Sora worried if he'd ever open up again. Finally, the boy looked down sadly.

"Riku…I'm trying… but…you're just-"

"Pathetic…" Riku lifted his head with a fake smile of self-pity plastered on his face. "I'm trying too…but it's not that easy. Everyday I wake up, I'm reminded of how I used to hate going to school and doing my everyday routines…even seeing you and Kairi getting so close…"

"But that's all gone now! You apologized tenfold and repented for it. There's no need to feel so bad!"

"But I _do_ feel bad!" Riku sounded on the verge of tears as he held his hand over his heart.

"He's still in there, I know it. I want to keep him away so badly, to keep him away from you; it gets hard to even breathe. My heart can only take so much more humiliation. I thought I was the shit, but now I know I'm nothing."

"Then why do you have a Keyblade?"

Sora had finally won something against Riku. The sixteen-year old opened his mouth only to close it again. Sora snickered at the fish-like movement Riku had just made.

"Wow, no witty retort? I'm surprised."

"Oh, it'll come…when you least expect it. Just you wait." A smile danced along Riku's lips.

That was all Sora needed. He jumped off his bed and landed hard on the hardwood floor. He got right into Riku's face. Riku looked at him coolly with an expression of, Is this necessary?

"You still haven't picked out what you wanna do."

Riku didn't say a word. He put his hand over Sora's face and pushed him backwards. "Get you out of my face is a good start…"

The two began to laugh. So what if it wasn't the good 'ol times anymore? They had "good ol' _new_ times" to create. Knowing this gave Riku some hope in his heart and gave Sora a wider smile on his face.

"Sora! Kairi's here!"

Sora jumped up in surprise to hear his mother calling him. He ran out of the room, Riku shaking his head and chuckling. He raced to the banister overlooking the living room below. His face broke into a childish grin as he saw his redheaded girlfriend standing at the foot of the stairs.

"Hey! Come on up!"

"Actually…" Kairi messed with the bottom of her shirt. "Can I talk to you alone?"

"Oh boy… I'm leaving you two alone, am I?" Sora saw his mother gathering up her things.

"Where are you going?"

"The grocery store. I need to get some things for dinner tonight. Make sure Riku keeps an eye on you two and wear a condom if you need it Sora."

"_Mom_!"

With a loud and witch like cackle, she was out the door. A sweet woman with evil intentions, that was how Sora described his mom to his friends.

Sora rubbed the back of his head with blush running clear across his face. "Ah hah…don't listen to my mom…she means…well I don't know what she means half the time."

Kairi giggled nervously. With a quick word to Riku letting him know where he was, Sora joined Kairi downstairs in the kitchen. She sat at the counter barstools with a hesitant look on her face. Sora was apprehensive to ask what was wrong, but pushed anyways.

"Is everything okay? Your dad didn't tell you any bad news, did he?"

"Huh? No… I'm just… It's… well…"

"You can tell me, Kairi. I'll listen."

Kairi smiled up at Sora. Such a sweet smile could only belong to a princess. All she needed was a long dress and a tiara and the fairy-tale look was set. She was so innocently cute.

"It's just that I hate being here."

There went the fairytale image.

"What? In my house or-"

"Just anywhere _you_ are, Sora. I hate it. It makes me sick."

Sora felt his feet slip a bit, but he started laughing instead. "Okay, what's going on? Who put you up to this? Is it Tidus? Oh, he's a dead man tomorrow."

"It wasn't him or the others. I'm telling the truth." Her smile remained, that princess smile.

Sora's laughter died down and his smile faded. "What…?"

"I wish you hadn't saved me. No wait…I'm glad you did, 'cause now I can go to whatever world I want, but I wish you had stayed dead. You brought so many problems and you still do. I didn't need to be saved by someone like _you_."

Sora's heart got heavier and heavier. The beat raced as his emotions sank. What was going on? Something was horribly off-kilter, but the boy was too engrossed in the heartbreak to find a solution.

"Kairi… I…"

"Oh just shush! Your voice annoys me. Everything about you does! I'm just gonna go." The entire time Kairi's sweet smile of purity and innocence never once wavered.

She smiled brightly at Sora as she brushed past him. She kept smiling as she walked out the door and down his walkway to the sidewalk. His deed done, Xemnas laughed the whole way home. Kairi cried inside and tried to reach Sora's heart. Hadn't they once been connected? Why wasn't it reacting now?

_It's gone, your highness. He'll no longer respond to an evil harlot like you anymore._

_Why can't you be gone too?!_

_Because the deed isn't quite done yet. I'll know when his heart reaches the bottom. It's not there yet… But it's almost there. Once there, the Keyblade master will no longer know where to turn. He'll be too scared to see your face ever again. Good luck winning him back._

Luckily for everyone, Xemnas had forgotten about the tall silver haired companion that fought alongside Sora not too long ago. He did remember there was an annoying boy with him that prevented him from kicking Sora and letting his sabers pierce through his skin. Such a delightful act was instead administered on Riku. The boy would not forget that kick to his liver anytime soon.

He glanced up casually when he heard Sora come back into the room. He was busy reading a magazine to really see Sora at the moment. "Hey, did you know anything about that boardwalk renovation thing? We should go see it. There's gonna be free food."

Upon receiving a silence from the usually responsive teen, Riku looked up. He was met with a horrible sight. Sora was in complete shock as he leaned against the door frame looking like a zombie. Riku jumped up instantly and rushed to his side.

"What happened?!"

A small smile still made its way across his face, but a single tear slipped out. The rest stayed inside their cage.

"She hates me…"

Riku's eyes grew. He put a hand on Sora's shoulder. It was enough to make him fall down in utter confusion and tears. Riku followed him down and rubbed his back. He listened as Sora relayed the events of what just happened downstairs through his sobs and eventual hiccups. Soon, the constant reassurance of touch wasn't enough for Sora. He clung to his best friend with everything he had left in him.

His heartbeat was in a furious flutter. Riku felt his little strength that was summed up in Sora drain away with each cry. He held onto him tight. There had to be something he could do. What else could he pull out to make the situation better? He had returned an entire half of Sora to him before, why couldn't he return Kairi to him with a simple flick of his hand.

A horribly familiar voice of an older man invaded Riku's mind. _Sucks to not have the dark-_

_Shut the fuck up._ He shook his head to try and interrupt the thought of darkness that entered his head. Even the notion of using the power of darkness was not something Riku would be willing to do, even if it was to help his best friend.

"I'm sorry, Sora… I honestly am… I wish there was some magical spell I knew to heal this… But I don't think even Donald could do a thing for you…"

Sora's cries had died down a bit. He sniffled pitifully. The younger boy slowly curled up into a ball as he thought more and more about the times he'd never get with Kairi. The things he had planned for them. That boardwalk renovation thing Riku mentioned? Yeah, that was going to be their first date. Was.

Riku sat Sora up straight. He looked him in the eyes. It was painful to see such strikingly blue eyes covered up by the mist of tears. Riku's fingers dug into Sora's arm slightly as rage filled inside of him. He was going to have _strong_ words with Kairi.

"I'm sorry…"

"What?" Riku was taken aback. "Why are you apologizing?"

"You didn't need this…"

Riku wiped Sora's face with his sleeve. "Oh, shut up. I don't care. I want to be here for you."

"I wish you knew what to do…"

Riku stopped and stared at his friend sadly. "Me too, buddy… But I don't…"

"I wish you knew how to heal a broken heart…"

"I can't even heal my own, Sora. I don't think me having interaction with any heart is a good idea" Riku half laughed trying to lighten the mood.

Sora sat up and looked at Riku.

"But there is… something you can do…"

'What? Tell me, please. I'll do anything to help you."

Sora looked at him for a few minutes, but then dropped his head uttering something. Riku grabbed him by the shoulders. "Damnit, don't _do _this! What happened to that hero of light everyone loves so much, huh?"

Sora lifted his head slightly. The two weren't too far apart by this time.

"There he is…kind of. I can see it in your eyes. If you wanna do something or say something, then say it! I'm right here to listen."

Without warning, Sora pushed his mouth on Riku's. The boy was caught way off guard and pushed his friend away.

"Not that!"

Sora's dull eyes stared at the ground. "What's wrong? You said to do what I wanted."

"Sora, taking your hormonal feelings out on me isn't what I meant… You're in a bad state right now." Riku wiped his face as if to hide his flash of red. "Please don't do that again."

"But it's what I want!" Sora moved a bit forward causing Riku to back up a bit. "Before Kairi, it was always you! I did _everything_ to make you happy. My emotions revolved around how you saw me. I went out of my way to make you notice me. Then when Kairi came, it was like something clicked. I think it was just our powers responding to each other or something."

"Sora, stop." Riku was getting frantic. When he came over to his best friend's house he wasn't expecting a full out confession. "You're getting carried away. That's probably just childhood emotions mixed in with hormones. You haven't even talked to Kairi. I'm sure something was up and you're not getting the whole story."

"I don't care…"

"Well I do!" Now it was Riku's turn to move forward, but Sora didn't back up. "I don't want you getting involved with me! You'll only get hurt! I'm not a very stable person right now and frankly, I don't know when I will be. I don't wanna hurt you again."

"You won't."

"Damnit! Don't _say_ that!" Riku was even closer, but he was also a lot angrier. "You can have it all with Kairi: a normal life, a future, true happiness! You'll only be dragged down into darkness with me…"

"That's okay." Sora smiled for real. "If I go down, I know you'll pull me up. And I won't leave you behind."

_We'll go together._

The words struck both of their hearts. Some more awkward minutes grazed by before anyone moved. It was hard to tell who came at whom first, but either way, the two were intertwined with lips locked and this time it was mutual.

♥

_Oh no…_

_What?! _Kairi felt her light begin to glow as the thought of hope settled into her chest. Was it really over?

_Looks like my magic trick broke!_

_You mean I'm free?!_

_Yeah sure, if you wanna say free. Don't forget your little boy toy is now a broken mess. I hope you like cleaning up! Especially after you see the mess I left you._

_You're so kind…_

Kairi sat up in her bed, happy to be able to move her body on her own again. But this was no time to rejoice over her freedom. She rushed out her door, down the stairs, and outside. She had to see what happened to Sora. She prayed it was nothing. Maybe he cried, Riku calmed him down, and now they were playing games.

Maybe he fell asleep. Maybe he sat there the whole time and cried. Maybe… Maybe…

_Maybe he hates me…_

Kairi shook her head trying to hold back the tears. She did not want to think negatively. Nothing had happened, she reassured herself. He was still her hero and she was still his princess. Things could still be set right. She'd show that Nobody! She had a heart and knew how to mend broken ones!


	2. Chapter 2

hoshiko's note: Wow, I can't believe so many people liked this. I was so nervous, so it means a lot to me that a lot of you read it. This one's shorter than the last one mainly because if I had connected it with the third chapter, then it would be too long. So, we get this instead.

Love goes to my luffely beta, OhMeGawd. I'd love more reviews too.

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_Chapter 2_

Their breathing got heavier as their hands roamed. Despite the fact that Sora's window was open, the room's temperature rose drastically. Riku began to lean into his best friend, keeping his hand behind Sora's head. He pressed further into the kiss making Sora let out a few quiet moans.

That's when conscience set in.

Riku pushed Sora away hurriedly. His face was flushed and his breathing irregular, he looked panicked.

"No…," Riku whispered. Sora tried to come back again, but the older teen held him away. "I said no… We have to… we have to stop…" Sora backed away slowly, but Riku wanted him to move away even faster. He pushed his friend across the room. The older boy then sat in the corner.

The two tried really hard to calm their breathing down. Avoiding eye contact and slowing their heart rate was the only way to figure out how the conversation should begin.

"We…have to figure some things out here…" Riku made sure to steer clear of Sora's intense blue eyes. If he looked there he would have no ground to continue. "This is way too fast and too confusing."

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't apologize. It's all right…" Riku laid his head back against the wall with a sigh. He finally felt calm enough to not throw up. "Things….aren't permanent with Kairi, Sora."

"How do you know?" Sora sounded sad as he sat on his side of the room. Riku had to muster up everything to not sit by him and hold him. It was always his job to do so. Sora had to find it in him to not go to Riku and be with him.

It was just like last year. Everything was turned upside down again and neither where able to help each other. They may have even hurt their friendship again. Such a thought only dampened Riku's heart more and made Sora worry.

"Sora…," Riku whispered with an unstable voice. "It was always you too… and it still is. I only pretended to like Kairi to make you fight over her with me… to make you wanna spend even more time with me. All those challenges… were so you would stay with me. I know how stubborn you are and I knew you'd never turn down a fight. I was so angry at myself when I learned that doing that only caused you to like Kairi…"

Sora watched his best friend with amazement. _So he liked me all along too? _He thought to himself, making the boy smile slightly. He hid the grin in case he offended Riku by smiling during a serious moment. He couldn't help it; he was touched.

"I had already decided… I would do everything and anything to make you happy. I knew it would never work between us, you were too silly of a boy and too infatuated with Kairi to see anything more with me."

"But I wasn't," Sora said quickly.

"I didn't know. I had no idea. All I knew was that you were happy when she was near and that's what you wanted." The shadows had fallen into Sora's room casting a line diagonally down Riku's face, half light and half darkness. _That's how I am now_, Riku thought with a chuckle to himself.

"But Riku…I…" Sora dropped his head. He had no idea how to reassure his best friend now. The mistake had been done and neither could forget the kiss.

"I'm sorry." Sora looked up at Riku in surprise. Now the older boy was apologizing. "I can't return it, Sora. I know what'll happen and I _don't_ want you to end up in pain anymore. You went through enough-"

"But I searched everywhere for you!" Sora slid across the floor towards Riku. His eyes had awoken from their fantasy world of the kiss as he stared deeply into Riku's eyes, despite the bangs covering them. "Even when I found you, I told you I was happy just being there with you on the beach. I didn't need Kairi then! I didn't need her when we originally thought up our plan to get off the islands. We only invited her along because she found out about it from you."

"I told her because I thought you'd be sad if she wasn't there…" Riku had to laugh at himself in his mind for that.

"But I would've been just fine with the two of us out there in the ocean." Sora touched his heart. "Out on my journey with Donald and Goofy, I thought the entire time what it would've been like to have you there fighting with me. It would've been so much fun and I regret not being able to- _Don't blame yourself_!"

Riku snapped his head up in surprise. The teen didn't even realize he had dipped his head down. He smirked, knowing Sora had caught him. He then realized that his best friend was practically in his lap by this time. The younger boy hugged Riku protectively, a first in their friendship as it was usually the other way around.

It felt nice for a change. Just like when Riku could no longer walk; it was nice to lean on Sora for support for once.

"I wish I could make you understand…," Sora whispered.

Riku fought hard to not hold his friend. "I do understand… but I told you… I can't do it. I'll have even more guilt on me and the next thing you know I'll be cutting myself and combing my hair over one side of my face."

Sora made a face of utter horror at Riku. "You'd look awful if you did that! And if you cut yourself, I don't think I'd wanna know you anymore."

Riku held up his left wrist and made motions of cutting himself along his artery. He scrunched up his face of pain. The two boys started to laugh. They happened to catch each other eyes. Their hold on their emotions broke as they were soon back to tight holds and feverish kisses.

Riku pushed Sora up against his bed and held his arms. Sora didn't mind as he let his mouth be overtaken. Riku sat on his knees between Sora's legs, the older boy moving his hand up Sora's shirt, feeling his skin. A horrible blush spread across both their faces as they realized what was happening, just like last time. The only difference was that conscience wasn't a factor.

Kairi was.

"Sora?!"

The two stopped instantly as they heard her scream from outside the window. As if on impulse, Sora started to move towards the door to go downstairs and let her in, but Riku held fast. He stared hard into Sora's eyes. He searched inside Sora's soul to see what he really wanted.

_I should go let her in…_

Riku released Sora instantly and sat back. His eyes were full of pain, but he understood. He had always understood that she came first. Sora could say he searched for him all through the worlds, but it wouldn't make a difference. When she called his name, he responded.

Sora looked back and forth between Riku and the door. Kairi called his name and soon her fists banging on his door followed. He moved towards the door, but caught himself. Riku was surprised as he felt Sora's lips on his own for a brief kiss.

"You said I need to hear her side, so I will."

Riku smirked and chuckled a bit. He fiddled with Sora's hair with gentle eyes.

"Then go listen, hero."

Sora stuck his tongue out at his friend after hearing the name and then raced downstairs. He jumped the last two steps and opened the door in a hurry. Next thing the fifteen year old knew, he was slammed into the hardwood floor beneath him. He vaguely remembers a hysterical girl clinging to him and crying on his chest. He shook out the darkness that clouded his vision from the impact of his head hitting the floor.

"Kairi?!"

"I'm so sorry! It was all my fault!" Sora sat up and held her out a bit to look at her. She was red in the face as tears streamed down. She was hiccupping as she sat there in the boy's lap. Sora was strangely reminded of himself not too long ago upstairs in Riku's arms.

Riku had snuck out to listen to the ordeal. He was watching them from the top of the stairs. He wanted to know what had happened to and then make his move. If Kairi's story won over Sora, then he'd congratulate the two on making up and leave. He couldn't bear to be around them any longer. If her story didn't, however, Riku would… he would… he wasn't sure what he would do.

"Whoa Kairi, calm down. What happened?"

"It was Xemnas!"

After hearing that name spoken in Sora's house, the boy felt a large rumble of anger in his heart.

"He took over my heart! He said it was some spell Ansem the Wise had taught him or something! It was a last ditch effort to try and make your life horrible!" Kairi was wiping her face vehemently to try and make herself look presentable for her boyfriend… if he was still that. "I tried so hard to stop him, but he was so strong! I had never dealt with darkness before and didn't know what to do. I'm so sorry!"

"How did he leave then?" Riku asked, now at the bottom of the staircase. Rival in his love or not, Kairi was still his friend. She had looked and waited for Riku as well and was thankful to be able to keep such a strong willed girl around. He felt concern for her as she sat on the floor crying.

"I'm not sure. He said something about he'd leave if Sora's heart hit the bottom, like a

last resort thing or something. I didn't understand it, but it happened and he left."

"Wait…you mean like….when Sora's heart had hit the ultimate low and he had nothing left to do…?"

"Yeah. Oh, but luckily you were here Riku! You were able to help calm Sora down, right? Xemnas must've forgotten about you because you looked like Ansem, I mean Xehanort's heartless, most of the time." Kairi had stopped crying by this time and smiling brightly at her friends. She felt her heartbeat return to normal. "What happened to make Sora calm down?"

Riku had felt himself snap inside. _Ultimate low? Nothing left…_ Riku's mind whirled with anger. He glared at Sora sitting on the ground who refused to look at him. It was almost as if he was admitting that he used Riku during his time of need. _I knew it…_

Riku brushed past the two and out the door. He had heard enough.

"Where are you going?!" Kairi called after him.

"I have to get home. I'll see you two later. 'Bye." Riku didn't even look back as he hurried down the steps to the ground.

Sora bolted up. "Wait!" He ran after the silver haired boy in a panic. He knew what must've gone through Riku's head. "Riku, I said _wait_!"

He grabbed Riku's arm and tried to stop him, but the boy snatched his arm back. He turned around and glared at Sora. The boy halted in surprise and fear. He had only seen Riku look this way once and that was when he was consumed by the darkness. But the darkness no longer had a hold on his heart anymore. This was true anger and betrayal.

"What're you gonna say to me now?! None of your words are going to work on me this time, Sora!"

Kairi poked her head out curiously. She wondered what had gone on during her absence. The two looked on the verge of a one way fist fight that Riku would certainly win with his anger.

"I know what you're thinking and that's not what happened!"

"Oh what, that I was a last ditch effort?!" He came at Sora, making the smaller boy back away in fear. "Is that what you're going to say?! That that kiss was _not_ something you did to me because you were so upset thinking you couldn't do that with Kairi anymore?!"

Kairi gasped and put her hand to her mouth. Sora was at a loss for words. He stuttered and stumbled as Riku came at him even more.

"Your heart hit the bottom, right?! I'm the bottom of your heart?! That makes me feel so _wonderful_! You searched the universe for me, huh? Well tell me Sora, if I had been the one on in the realm of light and Kairi was there with you instead on that dark beach, would you have opened the door to light to come back to me and then raced up the beach to see me?!"

Sora felt his eyes water. He looked over at Kairi for help, but she stared at Sora in equal anger. She felt herself being betrayed.

_They kissed?!_

"You may be a hero to everyone else, but I think you still need to grow up some before you can _really_ be a hero. You're doing too much betraying here, little boy."

With that, Riku turned and left. Sora found himself backed up against a tree as he relaxed. He looked over at Kairi in desperation.

"Please… you have to understand."

"No, I think you need to understand yourself!" Kairi ran down the porch and nearly knocked into Sora's mother. She ran down the dirt pathway to her house in tears.

Sora's mother looked after Kairi and then back at her son. "Sora…? What just happened?"


	3. Chapter 3

_hoshiko's note: _huzzah! the third chapter is up! this is one of my favorites and originally what started this fanfic. for those thinking this is how it ends-HAHA! it's not. this isn't even halfway or 1/4 of it. i'm not totally sure how long this fanfic will be, but it won't end here._  
_if there r mistakes, i'm sorry. my beta has suddenly vanished from me. D:  
i'd love me some more reviews!

HAPPY 4TH TO EVERYONE!

* * *

_Chapter 3_

Mothers are meant to be patient with their teenaged children. It's just something they have to learn to do, whether they like the emotional outbreaks or not. They raised their children from being the screaming wailing babies into the screaming and wailing teenagers. Sora's mother, Fuu, was no different.

Only she was as Fuu offered a bit of privacy for her son. Sora's mother never once questioned where her only child had been for an entire year without any word of where he was. The mother remembered the horrible time she had spent in another world, alone, without her family, and then suddenly returning to Destiny Islands. She waited day in and day out, awaiting the return of Sora. She had waited for her husband and he'd returned, now why hadn't their child too?

Then, one day, she saw him walking up the pathway. He was taller, stronger, and much more rounded out. She ran out the front door in tears, clinging to her son, feeling the difference in his body. He wore strange new clothes, no doubt from whatever world he had come from. Looking into his eyes, Sora's mother knew he was different.

But the light was still there. In fact, it looked even brighter than before.

Some sons look like their mothers while the daughters look their fathers. Sora and Fuu were no different as the son looked very much like his mother. Fuu had long curly brown hair the same shade as her son with intense blue eyes. Her lap had always been one young Sora could climb upon and snuggle his way into her bosom, no matter how old he got. She was just a comfy couch even though she put on some more pounds over the years. No one complained, it just added to the whole house-mother look.

Upon Sora's return, Fuu hugged him and kissed him, reassuring the boy that he was indeed home. Her son was delighted to see she had changed over the two years he was gone, pudgy belly included. Now she had nothing to offer Sora. He just lay in his room, completely lost at what to do next. He explained the entire situation to his mother, fearing her reaction to hearing that he made out with a boy. Instead, his mother found that patience that only a mother has, and stroked the brunette's head gently.

She understood. It was something she had guessed would eventually happen. Mother's intuition if you will. Not to say she wasn't pleased knowing that her son had made out with his best friend, but she had accepted that Sora was changing. She knew it the day that he had snuck out to build a raft. The crafty woman had overheard the child on the phone talking to his friends about sailing out to see worlds. It was ridiculous, but Fuu never interfered.

She had simple rules in her life on raising Sora: make sure he's happy, never intrude too much, and make sure he's safe. Short and sweet, but not always easy. Fuu felt her heart tearing as her son cried in her lap. He may have come home stronger in his heart, but deep inside he was still a young teen. Knowing this made the mother smile to know she was still needed.

"Sora, sweetie, listen to me," Fuu said as she made the boy sit up. He sniffled as he looked his mom in the eyes. Her deep blue eyes matched his own as she stared at him calmly. "While I'm not entirely… okay with what you did, Kairi and Riku are both right. You need to figure out what's going on in your heart before you hurt them again."

"They won't listen to me," Sora mumbled, looking down at his bed sheets.

"They're your best friends, son." Fuu tried to fix Sora's hair, but to no avail. It had been messy since he was a child; she still liked to play with it now and then though. "Give them some time to calm down. You hurt them pretty deeply there. They love you and will get over it. You all mean more to each other than this."

"I hope so…, " Sora mumbled, blowing his bangs out of his face.

"In the meantime, you should write down a list of things to consider." Fuu got up.

"Consider what?" Sora followed his mother's walk towards the door with his eyes.

"Who you want to say good-bye to." Sora's color drained. Fuu looked at her son seriously. "The worst case scenario is you lose one of your friends. You'll have to decide who is more important to you that you don't want to say farewell to. Once you find that out, you can make your decision."

It was tense for a few minutes, mother and son staring at each other in the dark room. Only one light was on and that happened to be the outside street light. The two had been too busy to bother with lights when they came upstairs. They didn't need the light to see each other and know what the other thought.

"I don't think either one will leave you, though." With that, Fuu left quietly.

Sora looked around his room in distress. He stumbled about for the phone, but upon picking it up he heard his mother disconnect it. _There goes that idea_, the teen thought bitterly. He sat on his bed again, staring at the lonely streetlight.

It then hit; the horrible pain he had just put on his two best friends. Here he was, the brave Keyblade Master that saved Kairi not once, but twice, going all around the universe looking for Riku, and in the end he hurts them in more ways than he can think of. What kind of friend was he? The list he'd make his mother recommended would be about him saying good-bye to both his friends.

_Even I wouldn't want to be my own friend right now._ Sora lifted his head dismally. He could only fathom what the other two were feeling right now.

♥

Kairi wanted to run to her friends and cry for hours, telling them everything that had happened, but she had done quite the opposite. The princess sat against the wall on the floor with her knees tucked to her chin. She sat in her own darkness as well. The poor girl was broken inside; not even her thoughts connected.

_Can I forgive him?_ She wondered. The burgundy haired teen dropped her eyes to the picture sitting on the floor inches from her feet.

It had been taken only a few months before their adventure began what seems like so long ago. The trio was all smiles as they stood triumphantly before their makeshift raft, just barely in production to take off. Such a happy picture used to make Kairi smile, but now it made her cry inside. Sora was between the two friends with his confident smile plastered on his face making the picture shine. Kairi was to his right laughing with a hand on his shoulder. Riku was on his left with the usual smirk he used to carry about.

The girl noticed that their arms were linked together, as if Riku was saying he wasn't letting Sora go. At the time Kairi didn't even notice or care; they were best friends and all. Tonight, however, it made the girl boil over in anger and pain. She curled up and began to cry into her knees again.

Funny enough, Riku was looking at the same picture in his house. All the lights were turned off in his room as well and he welcomed the darkness happily. The boy also had another picture near him as he leaned against his bed. His eyes scanned a much older picture, one before Kairi came.

It was taken back when the two boys were only six. Back then they had been friends for a year, but it didn't show. The youngsters looked as if they were raised together. Sora was sitting in the sand, his feet buried and the regular smile lit up across his face to match his bright blue eyes. Riku sat next to him with the beginnings of his old egotistical smirk. They were both eating ice cream that seemed to have melted down their hands and were smothered all over their face. Neither cared for the mess, but instead smiled for the camera.

Slowly, evening turned to midnight as all three of the children stumbled about in their thoughts and feelings. Sora was torn inside as he battled his own little darkness, Kairi worked to escape the constant feeling of betrayal, and Riku tried to regain the numbness he felt the majority of his life. It was going to be a long night.

The night turned into a new day full of more agonizing over Sora's decision. The boy got little sleep and worked himself into a hole with his thoughts. Nothing made sense anymore as he kept running into walls on any possible decision. Meanwhile, the other two waited for any word from their friend, hoping some progress had been made.

The day turned into a week, with not so much as a phone call to see how they were doing. Luckily, it was summer break and there were no awkward meetings in schools or rumors flying about. Because of that, Sora hardly left his dark room and it was even rarer for him to speak. His parents were getting worried as they would check up on him, but nothing worked. Everything had come to a standstill in everyone's life and it all hinged on one teenager's choice.

"Sora?" Fuu poked her head into her son's room. Her nose crinkled at the stench of stale air. She couldn't remember the last time he had opened a window in here. "Where are you? I can't see in here."

She flicked on the switch, flooding the room with light. Sora had wrapped himself in his blanket on his bed. He didn't look upset or sad or really anything. Fuu winced to see that Sora was emotionless. To see such an optimistically cheery boy now so devoid of all emotions was a hard sight for any mother to take.

"Son, let's talk." Sora didn't move. Fuu pulled the cover off of her son's head to reveal his spiky hair, still lively as always. "Have you made any progress? Even a small one?"

"…Any that I do…end in me hurting them…" Sora's voice was coarse and quiet. It didn't even sound like him. The small boy looked up at his mother in hope she had an answer.

Fuu sighed. She then hugged Sora to her chest, stroking his hair like any mother would to soothe her crying baby. She felt as her son relaxed into her.

"Son… there are some choices that you'll make that won't make everyone happy. The only thing you _can_ do is make yourself happy. That's the most important thing right now. Let's say you choose Kairi. It'll hurt Riku, but if he's a real friend then he'll get over it because you're happy. The same could be said about Kairi if you choose Riku." Fuu looked at Sora seriously as she continued. "If they see that you're happy, then in time they'll be happy too. If not… then it's best that you don't know someone like that."

Sora snapped his head up in surprise. He couldn't fathom thinking that he shouldn't know either Kairi or Riku; they just meant so much to him.

"I can't do that, mom!" the boy exclaimed. He sat up straight in bed. "I've done so much for them during… during… while I was away. I can't just not be their friend anymore because of a decision I made."

Fuu smiled in an understanding way. "There are many tribulations that one goes through in life, Sora, and sometimes it brings us closer to our friends. But any type of event can just as easily separate you the same way it brought you together. It's just the way of life. I've lost some of my closest friends in my life and I grew up with them too. It's part of growing up."

"Then I don't want to grow up." The teen had returned to his recent state of depression as he pulled the covers back over his head. "If it means losing either of them, I don't want to grow up…ever…"

Fuu felt her patience snap at that remark. Sora was a mature boy when it came to certain issues, but to hear him say something so immature made the angry mother side of her come out. It was a side all mothers had, some more than others.

"Then you can stay right here in your room, young man." She got up off the bed in a huff. "Lock yourself away in this room until you wither away, all alone. You can cry and kick and scream all you want, but I refuse to baby you once again. I put up with that when you couldn't walk, but not now! Not after you've come home with this strange aura to you and this hidden mystery about you! I know you're much tougher than this and to say that you don't want to grow up just so you won't hurt your friends has to be the most pathetic thing to come out of your mouth! If you want to be a real man then you must accept that not everyone will be happy with the choices you make! The only one who should be happy in your choices is you!

"If Kairi and Riku are your _true_ friends then they will accept you no matter what and get over this. You say you've done so much for them while you were away, well then prove it! Show them how much they mean to you and make a choice. It's making things a lot worse than it should be for all of you and frankly, I'm tired of it." Fuu had made her way to the door by now. "If you don't decide, then I will and you may not like the choice I make. It'll be one of you never seeing _either_ of them."

Before Sora could react, Fuu had slammed the door shut behind here. The brunette was in shock, he had never heard his mother speak to him like that before. Granted it was needed in this case, but it was still a jaw-dropping experience. The teen sat on his bed, the covers off his head, staring at his door in awe.

On the other side, Fuu sighed to herself in triumph. She felt a lot less weight on her shoulders as she strutted down the stairs.

It took Sora exactly five hours and three minutes to come to a conclusion of leaving his room. His father, Kaze, was sitting patiently in his chair in the living room. The man had short and messy dirty blonde hair that resembled the mess on his son. His green eyes usually held a lot of wisdom behind them that guided his only child along the pathway of life, but now his eyes were hazy with confusion. He had heard the news of the events from his wife and was still mulling over what to say to his son when they saw each other. Now was the time for him to come to a conclusion as the teenager stepped onto the last step.

"Sora." The boy jumped, looking over at his father quickly. There was a slight tension in the air as father and son stared at each other. Kaze searched his feelings, his heart, and his gut for what he should say.

"I'm sorry, dad," Sora said first.

Kaze was speechless. The look in his child's eyes told him that Sora had gone through so much in the past week. He had racked his brain, destroyed his heart, and come out with a decision finally. The man nodded at his boy.

"I understand… and no matter what happens… we'll always be here for you."

Sora smiled, feeling his vision blur from tears. With his parents at his back, there was nothing that could hold the teen back now. Sitting around and putting his body through hell was phase one in his plan. Now he had to actually put that plan into motion and make things right again.

Fuu was right; he had to make himself happy. Sora felt in his heart that this was the right choice. He knew that if Donald and Goofy were here they'd tell him the same thing. Hadn't the three of them gone on an adventure dealing with the heart and what affect it has on people? What kind of Keyblade Master would he be if he didn't stick to his word about following one's heart?

The next morning, Kairi and Riku had received identical envelopes addressed to them. Inside was a time and place of where to meet their friend. Neither spoke to each other to see if the other had gotten one as well, but instead did as they were asked.

Riku was asked to wait at his tree on his island around twilight. The older boy found himself growing nervous, but tried to calm down. This was his best friend's choice and no matter what, he would support him. The silver haired teen was convinced that Sora was going to pick Kairi; it was the only reasonable conclusion anyone could come on.

"Hey there stranger," came a familiar voice. Riku smirked as he looked over at Sora. The teen flung his body over the bend of the paupu tree that had leaned over ever so gently to create a nice seat.

"Hey there yourself. You look like crap," Riku replied.

_Yeah, he picked Kairi._ Riku thought bitterly. _He's already so carefree and casual with me. That's the only reason. He made the right choice._

"I've made my choice," Sora said.

"I sure as Hell hope so. I've been waiting." Riku sounded too nice and too calm to be true to his emotions. Sora knew this, but hid his suspicions with a lazy smile.

"Yeah, sorry about that. It was pretty hard, ya know?" Sora had climbed over the other side of tree this time to stand next to Riku who was leaning against the trunk like normal.

"No, I don't know." That was a little too harsh, but Sora took it.

The boy erased his smile and instead grew serious. "I chose Kairi."

Riku chuckled. "Yeah, I know you did and I don't blame you."

"Really?" Sora thought of what his mother had said. She was right.

"No, not at all. You have a future with her and she'll bring you a lot of happiness." Riku hitched himself backwards up onto the trunk of the tree. He stared serenely out at the sunset, pain knocking at his heart and tears asking to fall. He willed them away, though.

"So…no hard feelings?" Sora asked cautiously.

"Not at all." Riku sounded like he meant it, but both knew there would always be the tension. The older boy snickered quietly. "I grew up knowing nothing would happen and I accepted that. It's all right, Sora. As long as you're happy, then I'm fine with your decision."

Sora found himself staring at his shoes again. It was amazing how right his mother had been. He made a mental note to thank Fuu profusely when he got home.

Riku jumped down off the tree and started to leave. "I still got some summer homework to finish up. Gotta catch up and all, heh. I'll talk to you later, okay? Tell Kairi I said hi and I have nothing against her."

Sora turned around quickly. "So… so that's it?!"

Riku looked over his shoulder. "Well, I guess you could tell her she can come over again if she wants, but I don't know if she wants to see me."

Sora moved closer to his friend. "No I mean, you're not gonna fight my choice or anything?"

Riku turned around, an odd expression of confusion forming on his face. "Why should I? It's your decision. We both know more than anyone that when your heart is made up, you can't change that. Ansem the Wise taught me that."

"But! I mean… uh…" Sora bit his lower lip in frustration. Now what was he going to say?

"What do you really want me to say?" Riku asked as he crossed his arms. He felt himself getting a little impatient. He was just rejected and wanted to get away from Sora, but his best friend was now fighting him for not reacting. Something was amiss. "Do you want me to say I'm jealous and hurt? I thought that would only make things worse for you. You've gone through enough pain, as has Kairi, and frankly I just want this whole mess to end. We went through a year full of drama and fighting our inner demons. I just want to rest, if that's okay with you."

"I'm sorry…"

"Why are you apologizing this time?" Riku moved to mess up his friend's hair. Some things just never change, despite how many worlds one goes to and save.

"I didn't mean to put even more pressure on you and everything. I know you must be tired and all. I just wanted…"

"Forget it. It's fine. I'll live. I've gone through a _lot_ worse, Sora, trust me." Riku felt himself smiling only halfway. It was more than he'd smiled in a long time and it was enough to bring a smile to his young friend's face as well.

"Yeah, you're right," Sora said with his ever cheery smile.

"When am I not?" Riku grinned smugly.

Sora smirked himself and crossed his arms egoistically. Riku had taught him well enough to form that stance. "Well I think opening the Door to Darkness was a pretty _bad_ move on your part, if you recall."

Riku shook his head with a slight laugh. "Thanks for the reminder there, hero…" The two smiled at each other, knowing that things would never be the same. "Well now what?"

"I guess we go home and start over?"

"Guess so…"

The two best friends stood there; listening to the ocean that was so familiar to them they even dreamed about it. It was a soothing feeling, yet now it brought about a sense of sadness to them both. Had Sora really made the right choice?

"Well, I'll see you." Riku turned to leave.

"I chose Kairi," Sora blurted out. Riku stopped and was about to reply when the brunette cut him off. "I chose her to say good-bye to…"

If there were theme music in real life, this would be when the touching music would begin. Riku felt the preparations of going back to his numb life shatter. Sora had chosen him? Is that what he had just heard?

"My mom told me to prepare for the worse case scenario, that being one of you leaves me. So the entire week I prepped myself for if that happens. In the end I realized that I can't lose you again. I locked you away behind those doors once and spent half a year trying to find you again. I will never be ready to ever be separated from you again."

Riku doubled checked to make sure he wasn't falling into darkness. His body had disconnected itself from all reality. The only thing real to the boy was his best friend standing before him; the same one that had just explained his choice.

_Why did he…?_

"But I have nothing to offer you! I'll only bring you pain!" Riku grabbed Sora roughly by the shoulders, but not enough to scare the younger boy. Some tears found their way out. "People will be mean to you and your parents will hate you and, oh man, _my parents_ will be…. And Kairi! What happened… and the others?! No Sora, don't choose me!"

"Are you just saying that so I won't get hurt?" Sora put his hands on Riku's, looking him straight in the eye.

"Of course! I don't ever want you to get hurt again and being with me will surely have you reeling in the pain again."

"And what about you? Will you be in pain?" Sora's serious face was quite the contrast to the older boy's panicked expression.

"Of _course_ I'll be in pain! If you're hurt then it hurts me!" Riku exclaimed, his voice rising with worry. The teen could not imagine why Sora would choose him over Kairi. She was a _princess_ for crying out loud.

Sora hugged Riku around the waist, burying his face part way in the boy's chest. "Then…it's okay… Because I know no matter what pain I suffer, I know we'll suffer together and I know you'll pull me out… just like I will you…" The younger boy looked up. "Isn't that what you do in a relationship? You help each other out…"

"I'm the bottom of your heart. That's what Xemnas said!" Riku felt his anger return upon thinking of what Kairi had told them.

Sora shook his head. "You misunderstood what happened. The reason it was the bottom of my heart was because I had hidden it away…" The young teen held his hand over his heart, smiling gently at Riku. "I was just like you, always hiding it. I told you that. The words Kairi used were wrong. It's not like I hit the bottom of my heart, instead I released the hidden feelings I had for you."

"But…why?" Riku whispered, no longer able to control his emotions.

"Because I know this is the right choice. I know you'll always be there for me," Sora replied with so much light in his voice and eyes that Riku lost all face; the second time he had done so in front of Sora. The first was when he killed off all the Dusks about to attack. He almost lost his life and chose to protect his friend, rather than worry for his own well being. Sora was there for him then and was able to help him. Now, as Riku fell to his knees in utter happiness and relief, Sora was there to catch him once more.

It was how it should be. That was how both felt in their hearts. Sora had made the right decision.

Even from out on the dock, a young redheaded girl had to partly agree. She may have been the princess to a hero, but she would never be the one he cared most for. Kairi would remain Sora's friend, as well as Riku's. She watched as they hugged and cried together only to kiss happily and felt her heart break. The girl reached out to her two friends and offered them friendship and hatred.

She felt it was right, but didn't want it to be. It was too much for her. Right now, Kairi needed her hero, but she knew she'd never get him to rescue her again. Sora was a good friend, she knew this, however he was a horrible person right now. She could not face them.

Rowing home alone, Kairi thought back to when she lived in Sora's heart. She had gone down into the depths of his darkness and seen that secret that lay in there. The girl knew of his private emotions for his best friend, but back then the princess dismissed this as just an obsessive feeling for someone he had known so long. She had felt the true feelings he had for her and at the time it was one of complete love.

But now, looking back at the two, she knew better. That feeling of love was one she mistook for protection. He saw her as his princess, yes, but that was his hero side talking. Sora's real side was that the real love in his heart was what he chased over for an entire year to bring home. The one who offered his hand to bring Sora into the darkness with him. The same one who went through ultimate darkness and still found his light at the end.

Even she thought Sora had made the right choice.

"You deserve to be happy…," Kairi whispered to no one. It had been directed to Sora, but even if she was there by his side now, he would not have noticed her. He had been granted his wish of happiness. She didn't want to interfere.

"Nothing's like before…"


	4. Chapter 4

_hoshiko's note_: SO SORRY about not updating this past week. personal things and yeah and then my beta tells me my OC's overpower the others. i then realized she was totally right. so i combined two chapters together here we have this ubberly long one. sorry (shifty eyes).  
so some of u may turn out to hate riku's dad, and that's the point. and if u think a parent wouldn't say "i'll disown u" after not seeing them for two years... well let's just say i've met a few that have said this.  
i'm leaving town on thursday and won't be back until aug. sorry, no updates for two weeks. i MAY be able to get chapter 5 up before i leave, but don't bet on it.  
ENJOY!

* * *

_Chapter 4_

"Are you sure it's all right?" Riku asked cautiously. He eyed Sora's house with apprehension. "Your parents may have said they would be okay with your choice no matter what, but…"

Sora laughed. He squeezed Riku's hand sweetly. "You're too nervous. It'll be fine, I promise. Look, I'll go inside and tell them and you can wait out here. That way if they get angry, you can make a mad dash for home."

Riku chuckled and nodded. "All right, but try not to die in there, all right? I saved your sorry butt enough times as it is."

Sora let go of the older teen's hand with a laugh. He went inside his house, looking for his parents. His heart raced as he thought of what to say.

"Oh, you're back?" Sora looked over to see his mother standing just outside of the kitchen. She smiled warmly at her son as she dried her hands on a towel. "How did it go?"

Sora's bright smile illuminated the room. "Great!"

"Who did you pick, son?" Kaze asked as he joined his wife by her side. The two waited for Sora's answer anxiously.

Sora fiddled with his shirt for a few minutes. It was an easy task to say Riku's name so many times, but now the word just couldn't come out.

"Riku…I chose Riku." The teen scrunched up his face, fearing for his father's yell or his mother's disappointed sigh.

Instead he was met with warm arms and soft kisses. Fuu encircled her son, a compassionate smile on her face. Kaze stood nearby with a proud smile and a hand on Sora's shoulder.

"You're…not upset?" Sora was in shock. He looked back and forth between his parents.

"No. We're just glad you were mature and finally made a decision." Kaze came forward. "We don't know what you did when you disappeared, but when we saw you, you had grown inside and out. It wasn't until now that you proved to us just how much you're grown up. We're proud of you, son."

Sora smiled again, hugging his mother happily. He let out a relieved laugh.

Fuu let go of Sora. "Where is Riku? You didn't just leave him, did you?"

"Oh! No! He's outside." Sora headed towards the screen door he had left open. "We weren't sure how you were going to react, so Riku decided to stay outside."

"Well invite him on in! He's more than welcome to stay for dinner. I missed that boy, been a week since we talked to him." Fuu went over towards the door. She saw the silver haired teen looking around the front yard nervously. She giggled. "Riku!"

Upon hearing his name, the boy snapped his head over. He waved at Fuu as she invited him in. Sora laughed, shaking his head at his mother.

"You can come in and have dinner with us, Riku," Sora called.

Riku nodded with a smile and came towards the house. Fuu gave him a tight hug and a pat on his head.

"It's been too long, sweetie," she said. Riku agreed with a light chuckle. He slipped his hand into Sora's as if on impulse. The younger boy didn't object, but rather reciprocated the action.

Kaze cleared his throat. "Before we get to any food, I'd like to talk to you two boys…" He eyed their hands warily. "There are some rules I must put down if you two are to be together in this house. One...no sex under _any_ circumstance."

Sora laughed nervously. He rubbed the back of his head as blush crept up his cheeks and neck. "Ah hah…don't worry about that one dad. We're too young."

"Second," Kaze continued without missing a beat. "I don't want to find you two making out."

"Fine, but can we have a little leniency there?" Riku interjected. Kaze looked at the boy. "Can we get an announcement of when you'll be coming in the room? Hormones and all, you just never know when we can't control ourselves."

Sora was horribly red at this time. He couldn't believe Riku was negotiating with his father on when and when they couldn't make-out. The younger boy clenched the older one's hand as if to convey his embarrassment.

"Fair enough. We'll do that." Kaze crossed his arms. "Third, if you're to spend the night, Riku, you'll have to sleep on the floor or the couch. I don't want my wife walking in on you two sharing the same bed. I don't care if one of you is above the covers and you both have clothes on. I won't stand for it. And-"

"And that's all!" Fuu interrupted. She patted her husband on the hand. "How about some dinner now?"

Sora, glad for the disruption, happily complied. "Yeah! What're we having?"

"I thought some fresh salmon would make us all comfortable with Sora's wonderful decision. It'll be to celebrate the start of your relationship!" the mother exclaimed happily with a clap of her hands.

Sora and Riku laughed quietly, both averting their eyes from the adults. Their eyes happened to glance at one another at the same time sending blood rushing to their face.

Was this real?

"Why don't you help me in the kitchen, dear?" Fuu grabbed her husband's arm and dragged him away from the new couple. Once out of earshot, Fuu hissed at Kaze. "You really need to let it go, honey."

"I can't!" Kaze exclaimed. Fuu shushed him. They stood in the kitchen together. "I know I said I'd be okay with Sora's choice, but I just… I liked Kairi!"

"I like Kairi and I'm sure she's still Sora's friend, but I like Riku too."

"I do too…but as a friend to Sora." Kaze rubbed his arm as a nervous habit to show his discomfort.

"Well Sora's happiest with Riku being more than a friend and I'll accept that. I want my boy happy." Fuu kissed Kaze's cheek. "Don't you?"

Kaze shot a look at his wife. "Of _course_ I do! I have ever since he was born."

"Well then!" Fuu patted Kaze's hand, turning to go to the refrigerator. "Learn to accept their relationship."

"It'll take time… but I will… I'll do it for my boy… I had to get over not asking him constant questions of where he was last year."

Silence filled the kitchen. From out in the living room, it sounded as if the two boys had turned on the television. The adults stared at each other.

"We can't ask… Sora's not ready," Fuu whispered.

"I know… Riku and Kairi were obviously involved too as they both were gone for awhile. It looks painful to ask Riku and Kairi seems like she's confused in certain things. I can hear them mutter about it outside sometimes, but I remember I can't eavesdrop. Not on this topic." Kaze sighed, taking out some vegetables.

"Yes… In time they'll tell us what happened." Fuu looked out the window, then at the door leading to the living room. "Hopefully…"

♥

It came to no shock as Sora begged his parents to let Riku spend the night. The parents knew it was coming and had already agreed to the request. Both boys were happy, promising to not stay up too late and not make too much noise. After cleaning up the dishes, the two went up to Sora's room.

"You sure it's okay for you stay in those clothes tomorrow?" Sora asked. He flopped down onto his bed with a content sigh. The day was perfect.

"Yeah. When I want to change I'll just sneak back home and change quickly." Riku sat on the floor against the bed with his own happy sigh.

It was silent for a few minutes. The boys listened to the peace and quiet that Destiny Islands brought them. It was something they missed while out on their adventure.

Sora slid down to the floor next to Riku. Slowly, the teen put his head on his friend's shoulder. It wasn't something new; Sora had fallen asleep on his shoulder many times before when young. However, this time it brought about a different sensation to the action, especially as Riku placed his head on top of Sora's. The older boy slid his hand across the floor to intertwine his fingers with his companion's.

This is real…

♥

The couple was rudely woken up by a shattering ring from the house phone. Bolting up in surprise, they found that they had fallen asleep holding hands on the floor. Sora reached to answer, but the ring was cut off. Riku looked at the clock; it read 1 a.m.

"Who the hell is calling this late?" The older teen mumbled groggily with a ruffle of his hair.

"I'm not sure, but my parents must've answered it." Sora got up slowly. He stretched himself out, craning his neck to the side and twisting his back until it cracked. The brunette turned back to his boyfriend with a sigh. "Wanna go down and see who it is?"

Before Riku could reply, Kaze banged on the door. The younger teen jumped in surprise bringing a chuckle to the silver haired boy on the floor. Sora's father opened the door quickly. He did not look pleased at all.

"Downstairs. Now."

The boys looked at each other in fear. What exactly where they in trouble for now? They had been told those same directions many times from Sora and Riku's parents when they grew up. Somehow they just knew that this time, it wasn't going to be for breaking a vase or picking a fight with the neighborhood children. No, this time it had something to do with them being together.

Sure enough, when they reached the living room, they saw Riku's parents and Kairi's father, Sen. Kairi was the only one sitting as she looked down at the floor sadly. The poor girl looked the most uncomfortable.

Riku's father, Yama, grabbed Riku's arm roughly. "Come along, son, we're going home now."

"Why?" Riku asked calmly. He didn't resist his strong father.

Yama sported the same silver hair as his son as well as the muscles and glare. His eyes, though, were a heavy black; a stark contrast to Riku's aqua eyes. Next to the towering man stood a little woman, Riku's mother. She had soft black hair, not quite grey and not quite black. The woman was short in stature and in words, but her bright green eyes conveyed anything she didn't offer. Her name was Suna and she had to be the strangest match to Yama.

Much like his name, Yama was a mountain of pure strength. It was no wonder his son turned out the way he did. However, Suna was a quiet and sweet woman of unbelievable warmth. She brought about the kinder side to her son. Put them together and you have the kind of boy Riku once was; a boy full of a shy love and a determination to never make his father disappointed for fear of something else. Take them apart and pour in some darkness and you have the Riku standing in the room now.

If one was to look in on this situation, it would be considered a miracle that Sora and Riku were friends. Yama and Suna were very well off and raised their son to be cold and strong. Kaze and Fuu were middle class and taught their son to see the light in everyone. The families had never truly gotten along, but put up with one another for their children's sake.

"Why don't we discuss this alone?" Fuu said suddenly. She eyed her son cautiously.

Sora took this as his chance to duck into the kitchen. Soon after, Riku and Kairi followed. They closed the doors, leaving silence at the door. The shouts and protests from the parents in the living room could be heard through the door.

"_This is unacceptable_!" Yama's voice boomed. Riku sighed and shook his head. It was a phrase his father had often used with him many times.

"Please Yama. The children have been gone for two years… This is no way to handle the situation…," Fuu said quietly. "Keep your voice down, please."

"Uh hey, you guys want something to drink?" Sora asked suddenly. This broke the awkwardness of the situation. "I've got water, juice, soda, milk…"

"Alcohol?" Riku asked. He laughed, though, so the other two in the room knew he didn't mean it. However, alcohol sounded pretty good.

Kairi wasn't even participating in any acknowledgment. She kept staring down at her feet, an embarrassed blush across her face. It was her fault this rather loud confrontation was taking place in the other room. The poor teen wasn't exactly comfortable being around her two friends. Where they still her friends?

"Kairi?" Sora asked quietly. "Are you okay?"

The redhead looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "Why wouldn't I be? I was just rejected by you for another _guy_."

There would have been an awkward and painful silence that followed those words, if the parents in the other room were not yelling by now. Riku was especially hurt and uncomfortable to hear Kairi say those words with such contempt. However, he had heard far worse during his time in Castle Oblivion. The boy could deal with her words.

It was Sora he was most concerned with. Glancing over at him, the teen could easily see the brunette was pained.

"I do _not_ want my daughter around _either_ of those boys!" Sen exclaimed. "She's fragile!"

"Are you fragile, Kairi?" Riku asked without a trace of sarcasm or joking in his tone. He stared right at her, knowing the answer.

"Was I fragile when I jumped off a balcony for Sora?" Kairi asked, not meeting the older boy's eyes.

"Then say what you want to say," Riku said.

Sora looked at Riku in a bit of surprise. This wasn't normally like his friend. It used to be that Riku would hold back what he really felt as would Kairi. The two danced around their true words, using little hints and obscure meanings hiding what they really wanted. Now they both were being almost bluntly honest. The teen briefly wondered if he was that way now as well.

Kairi looked at Sora with almost a glare, but she softened it upon seeing his hurt eyes. He still meant a lot to her. "I just feel like… I got gypped. I make _one_ mistake and you can't forgive me?!"

Sora's mouth dropped. "You think _that's_ why I'm not gonna go out with you?" Now it was the brunette's turn to be upset and brutally forward. "Kairi! I can't believe you just said that! You're smarter than that! If that was true I wouldn't be talking to you right now and trying to make things better!"

"It's just not fair…," Kairi mumbled. "I waited for you, for an entire year I waited for you! We got two months together and I thought…"

"I'm sorry Kairi, but that's not it. It's _not_ your fault, okay?" Sora said, his anger melting away at hearing the wavering in the girl's voice. "I just…don't like you that way. I did, I really did. You still do mean a lot to me. It's just…not in the way you want…"

That broke the stick on the redhead's back. She began to cry into her hands. Sora moved to hug her, but she refused. The action was just as painful as the words the girl spoke earlier.

Riku sighed; was that in annoyance? "What do you want from us, Kairi?"

Kairi looked up at the teen standing next to her. "What…?"

"We're not gonna just stand by and see you cry. We both risked our lives to save and protect you," Riku said. "I know for a fact I'm not just gonna dip out of your life. You're still one of my best friends."

Kairi cried a little harder. In her heart, the girl felt the same thing. No matter what jealousy and bitterness she felt, the two boys standing in the room with her would always remain her best friends. They were the ones that found her, that stayed by her side when strangers turned away from the "strange" girl, that shared their deepest secrets with her, and saved her from darkness. There was no way she could truly hate them.

"You two are too!" she wept. "I don't want to lose you guys! But! …I still feel so hurt and betrayed!"

"It's okay to feel that," Sora said suddenly. He put his hand on Kairi's shoulder gently. "You can feel whatever u want, Kairi. We won't stop you. Just…please don't shut us out…"

The sincerity in her friend's words made Kairi cry harder. This time, though, when Sora hugged her, the girl didn't move to pull away. Riku eventually consoled her as well. The kitchen filled with her talks of the redhead's thoughts on the entire matter and the parents' constant arguing. Both boys could only sit there and listen to both sides; one side unable to accept their actions and one willing to eventually forgive the two. It was painful no matter what.

"Say Riku," Sora said once Kairi had stopped crying. The redhead was washing her face at the sink by now. "When did you become so honest? You too, Kairi."

Riku shrugged as he leaned against the island in the room. "DiZ, er, Ansem the Wise. He and King Mickey both taught me the matters of the heart. I had a lot of free time while you slept, lazy bum."

"Hey! I was getting memories back in place, thank you very much!" Sora exclaimed with the first smile on his face of the night.

"Yeah I know," Riku chuckled. "I remember when I forgot what happened. It was confusing, like a bad case of amnesia. I was suddenly in an old mansion with a girl, an old guy, and a mouse."

Kairi laughed loudly causing the two boys to jump and look over at her. "That sounds like some bad fanfic!"

"One you wrote?" Sora joked. The three friends cracked up.

The fit of giggles brought the parents into the room. The fathers didn't look too pleased, but the mothers remained calm. Yama was red in the face from his loud protests from the past hour or so. What time was it anyways?

"What's going on?" Fuu asked, a smile creeping up her face from the infectious laughter.

"You wouldn't understand, mom," Sora said, calming down.

Fuu looked at Sen with her arms crossed. There was a look in her eyes like a child taunting another saying "I told you so!" "Well it seems Kairi is okay with my son and with Riku."

"Are you?" Sen asked. Kairi nodded through her laughing.

Sora's face lit up instantly and he hugged the girl. An immense weight was lifted once more from his shoulders. As long as he had Kairi and Riku, nothing, not even furious parents, could stop him.

"Well I stand firm in my decision!" Yama boomed. Sora jumped slightly; after all the years he had known the adult, his voice and ever condescending gaze never ceased to scare him. The tall man grabbed Riku's arm firmly. "I knew having him be your friend was going to be a problem. We're taking you away from him, Riku."

"I refuse to never see Sora again," Riku said defiantly. The teen roughly snatched his arm back. Though he wasn't as tall as his father, he was the only one who didn't have to tilt their necks up to stare him in the eyes. "I'll never have that happen."

"I don't care what you want. You're too young to know what you want!" Yama stepped up, about to take Riku's arm again, when Suna stepped forward.

The meek woman's whisper was such a contrast to her husband's that everyone had to strain their ears to listen. They had just winced in pain from Yama's constant yelling.

"Riku…?" Suna shuffled forward. Riku's eyes softened as he looked at his timid mother. He had always loved and admired her for her inner strength and the love she offered him through the years. Out of the few people he missed when in the darkness, his mother had been the third. "Are you okay with this…? With upsetting so many people in your choice to be with your best…_male_ friend…?"

Riku stared hard at his mother. He knew that she was trying to voice up the gentler side of what his father was arguing about. The teen sighed.

"Yes. I don't care what anyone thinks. I've held off my feelings for Sora for years… And now that he's willing to return them, I refuse to push those feelings back down into my heart. I will _not_ sacrifice his happiness or my own for you or father's consent."

Suna smiled shyly. The mother secretly wished that would be her son's answer. She desperately wanted him to be happy with whomever he deemed worthy. To her, Sora was a perfect candidate. Mother's intuition again. That and she had watched as the two friends interacted with one another during the years. She caught those quick looks at Sora from her son, those tentative hugs, those dreams that Riku spoke aloud of before the mother awoke him.

"Well then… I think we've over stayed our welcome." Suna retreated behind her husband.

"What?!" Yama turned on his wife. The woman winced at his tone. "That's it?!"

"Yama, we've already set down rules and they agreed to compromise certain things. Why don't you do the same thing, since neither are willing to back down?" Kaze looked at the tall man, hoping he'd back away from poor Suna.

Yama returned his stare to Kaze. After a few minutes of thinking, the older man cleared his throat. "Yes…well… maybe that is the best choice for now…"

Riku was amazed his father had agreed to such a thing. He stole a glance at his mother. She had a sneaky, yet warm smile to her face. Something she said had affected Yama's decision.

"My rules are that there shall be no contact with each other in my house. None of any kind. And I refuse to let you, Sora, spend the night at our house ever again. Riku… well…you'll have to get permission from _me_ if you want to stay here. Is that clear?"

"Crystal," Riku replied quickly. He knew there was no negotiating with this man. "May I stay the rest of the night here?"

"Whatever, sure." Yama waved his hand impatiently. "My other rule is… if our reputation is _ever_ jeopardized…you will no longer be allowed to live under our roof again."

The statement left almost everyone in a stupor. Riku had braced himself for his father's rule. He just knew the man would set that down. Nothing mattered more to him than his reputation. It was how he made a living. That was why the teenager had worked so hard to excel at everything. If he didn't, there would be hell to pay from his father.

"Fine…," Riku mumbled. He had to agree. There was nothing more to it.

Yama stood up straight. "Right then. You must return to the house tomorrow, or well later today, at noon sharp. Any moment later and you'll be grounded the rest of your vacation." The man looked at Sora and his parents. He didn't say a word, but nodded. With that, he left the house in a march.

"If that is all, then I think I'll be taking my daughter home," Sen said. He nodded for Kairi to come over. "Good evening."

And with that, the house returned to normalcy. Everything instantly seemed lighter as the aggravated adults had left the premises.

"Well that was fun!" Sora said suddenly. He smiled at everyone. "Let's do it again! Same time tomorrow?"

Kaze shook his head, already heading for the stairs. Fuu hugged her son and gave him a kiss on the head. Riku shook his head as well, but laughed at his boyfriend's joke.

"Off to bed you too. You have to get up before noon this time, boys. Good night." Fuu then left.

Once everything had become still again, the two boys leaned on the island with a deep sigh.

"I thought they'd never leave…," Riku whispered. He sounded tired and upset.

"Are you okay?" Sora asked. He leaned over to look at Riku.

Riku didn't reply, but instead kissed Sora. The boy was caught up in a whirlwind of emotions to protest. He sank into the hold as they embraced each other. It was a sweet and short kiss.

"We better get to bed… You look tired." Sora nodded with a sleepy look in his eyes. It wasn't from being tired but overwhelmed by the kiss; short as it was.

Riku stood up, holding onto Sora's hand, but the younger teen wouldn't move. The silver haired boy looked down with a sigh. "Lazy bum…"

"Nothing…is broken…"

"Excuse me?" Riku bent down to Sora's eye level. "Where did that come from?"

Sora snapped out of his daze. "Oh! Sorry! No, it was, um, from this song I heard. It's pretty. You should hear it sometime."

"That's okay. I don't enjoy _pretty_ songs, Sora." The boy laughed as Sora argued. He was so cute when he became defensive.

But Sora was right. Nothing was broken. They had suffered a humiliating and tense situation with the parental units and even managed to salvage their friendship with Kairi. With that task done and over with, they could step forward in their relationship a little more bravely. The next hurdle, though, would prove to be a challenge that could quite possibly break their wills. The couple knew it was something they had to rely on each other for support to get through.

That problem happened to consist of hundreds of girls and boys their age glaring at them, jeering them and taunting them, judging them, and ostracizing them.

There's a word for this. Oh yes, it's called high school. And they would have to face it head on in a week.


	5. Chapter 5

_hoshiko's note: _rereading this and talking to my luffly beta i realized that 5 sounded way too much like 4, so i went through and redid it. i hope u enjoy it. it's not any MAJOR changes, just mainly with kairi and the other three friends sora and riku happen to have.  
college is startin' up in a few weeks, so if there r any more long periods of a writing drought from me...blame education, because not enough ppl do it XD  
i happen to love the little ringtone part very much.

* * *

_Chapter 5 _

It was the middle of the next day when the mayor's doorbell rang. Sen looked up curiously. It was Saturday, his day off. Who could've come to his door when the entire town knew he was unavailable. The man got up to answer.

"Hello sir. May I speak with Kairi?"

Sen stared in disbelief to see Sora standing on his front porch. He almost slammed the door in the boy's face, but he was too polite for such an action.

"She's sleeping right now, Sora," the father replied.

"Oh okay. Is it…okay if I come back later?" he asked tentatively.

"No, it isn't." With that, Sen started to close the door. "Good day."

Sora didn't expect Sen to open his arms for the boy to talk to Kairi. He was even more determined to come back tomorrow.

And he did just that as he rang the doorbell again. This time, a maid answered for Sen. The man was back at work that day.

"Hello ma'am. Is Kairi here?" the teen asked nicely. He smiled slightly at the woman. He was never used to the maids that worked for Kairi.

"No and Mr. Sen has asked that you don't bother her." The maid nodded politely at Sora. She curtseyed and with a smile, closed the door.

Sora bit his lower lip. He walked down off the porch only to turn around and look up at house. The teen knew exactly which window was Kairi's window. The two of them had planned secret escape plans enough times. The brunette desperately wished to throw some pebbles at her window, hoping the redhead would pop out with her usual smile.

_"Sora!" she'd say with enthusiasm. _

_"Hey! Come down here!" Sora would reply just as happily. _

_The girl would climb out her bedroom window. She'd giggle as she climbed across the small roof over towards her tree. Sora would wait for her at the base, ready to. Sometimes, the redhead would slip. With a yelp of surprise, she'd fall right into the boy's arms. _

_It was the first time he had been a hero to his princess. _

But now as he looked up at her empty window, Sora knew it would no longer be that way. He secretly wished it would be, but now he had Riku. That alone made the teen smile in his heart.

♥

"So she refuses to come to the door?" Riku asked. He was sitting on Sora's bed reading a magazine. He watched Sora play a video game on the floor.

"More like she's having other people make excuses to not see her," Sora replied. He moved his arms with the controller as he continued playing. "I don't get it, though. I thought we were okay."

Riku shrugged, but Sora didn't see this movement. "Maybe she was just saying that. You know how girls are and we both know how Kairi is. She's always been like that."

Sora sighed sadly, "Maybe I should call her? But I have no idea how to get a hold of her. I doubt she'll answer her cell phone. She gave me a specific ring tone for when I call."

Riku rolled his eyes. "Women…"

Sora paused his game. He looked over at his bed. "Do _I_ have a certain ring tone on your phone?"

Riku looked over the top of the magazine. Sora pouted and batted his eyes at his boyfriend innocently. The older teen put the magazine down with a sigh. "Don't do that, you girly boy you."

Sora flung his seat cushion as Riku. "Don't call me that!

The boy caught the pillow with a laugh. "Well you are! At least sometimes you are." Riku threw the cushion right back at Sora.

"Well _you_ have a special ring tone, ya know." Sora started to play his game again.

"Oh really? What is it?" Riku's tone sounded as if he didn't care, but the boy was a little happy inside .

"Just a song. Nothing special." Sora pretended like he didn't care either .

"Oh no, now I have to hear this. You probably put it as some weird boy band song." Riku was shaking his head. He couldn't believe he was still playing along.

Sora laughed, "Oh yes, because you're all I think about when I hear a boy band playing." The brunette sat up and pulled out his phone. He pressed a few buttons and soon a song came from the little device. It was a rock song that Riku remembered from a concert the two had gone to see a few years ago.

"When did you manage to record that during the concert?" the older teen asked .

"I have my ways," Sora replied with a sly smirk easing onto his face.

"So lemme guess," Riku started while looking away. Sometimes the expressions Sora made were too much for the boy. "You want me to give you a custom ring tone now just because mine is?

"That'd be nice…," Sora said off-handedly.

"Girly boy," Riku snorted.

Sora shot a glare over at Riku's direction, but the magazine blocked it. The older teen, though, was laughing to himself. He secretly pulled his cell phone out and skimmed through the ring options. None of them fit what he wanted for his boy's ring tone.

_Wait, why am I so wrapped up in this?!_ Riku snuck a few quick looks down at Sora. He smiled to see the boy so enthralled in his game. It just happened to be a game that Riku bought for him last year for his birthday.

"Hey, Sora?" Riku asked casually.

"Yeah?" Sora didn't look over; he was too busy.

"Say my name," Riku said, a small smile creeping up.

"What? Why?" Sora glanced over at him.

"Just do it, okay? I like hearing you say my name."

Sora paused his game again. He turned fully towards his boyfriend now. "What's up with you?"

Riku slid his phone into his pocket. He then made his way to Sora. Wrapping his arms around the boy's waist slowly, he invoked a slight shudder from the younger teen. His mouth was right up to Sora's ear by now.

Breathing gently against the ear, Riku whispered, "Please?"

It took a few minutes, but Sora was able to say Riku's name without wavering his voice too much. Content with his deed, the older teen leaned back. He had recorded the boy's voice without Sora's knowledge.

Not one to let him get away after being so close, Sora grabbed Riku's shoulders to stop him. Ignoring everything else that was currently on hold, the two boys found happiness just having their bodies entwined and their lips connected. Deep passion hidden for years was behind these kisses and these touches. It was finally allowed to be set free.

Riku pushed himself onto the smaller boy until he was practically on top of him. One hand supported his companion under him while the other swept through Sora's hair rhythmically. The younger teen was so comfortable that he pressed his body completely onto his boyfriend. Riku moved his supporting hand to hold Sora around the waist, causing them to fall backwards onto the floor.

Sora had to break for air, but soon lost breath as he felt Riku's lips move along his neck. The older teen bit along his boyfriend's collar bone until he found a perfect spot just underneath the brunette's shirt; a nice hidden place for a little hickey.

"I've…never seen this side of you before…," Sora panted. He could feel Riku smile on his neck.

"You've never had a chance to…" He licked where his new mark was, causing Sora to shudder again. Riku sat back up, holding the younger boy to his chest gently. "Now that I can… I'm not going to hold back…" Lifting Sora's chin slightly, Riku looked into his deep blue eyes. "But if I go too fast for you, you tell me, all right. I've never been with someone before so I don't know what's considered too fast."

"All right." Sora smiled, impressed to see Riku say such a thing. He hugged the older teen happily. "And you do the same to me, okay?"

Riku laughed loudly. "If we could, I'd take you right now, Sora." The brunette flushed at the statement. "There's nothing you could do that I'd consider too fast."

The older teen pulled out his cell phone. He pressed the new ring tone that he had just recorded. Sora's face lit up in embarrassment as he heard his own voice calling Riku's name. Riku burst out laughing upon seeing his boyfriend's reaction.

"That's priceless!" Riku laughed.

"Riku! You can't put that as my ring tone!" Sora whined. He grabbed a hold of Riku's arm.

"Why not? It's my phone." Riku smirked. He was currently busy changing his wall paper as well to a certain little brunette in his arms.

"Because I don't like it!" Sora crossed his arms, his infamous pout beginning to sneak through.

Riku raised an eyebrow. "I didn't give _you_ permission to pick my ring tone. Why do I have to have one for when I pick one for you?"

"Well…because that one's not really a ring tone. It's just me calling you. How is that a good ring tone?" Sora asked.

Riku pulled Sora quickly in for another kiss. They parted lips with the older one's only inches apart from the younger. His voice would not have been heard if any further apart.

"Because I'll respond to your voice… and I love the sound of your voice…" He licked Sora's lips and nose sweetly. "It turns me on…"

"Just me speaking?" Sora whispered. Riku nodded, caressing his companion's back lovingly. "Wow… I didn't know I could do that…"

"What turns you on?" Riku asked, nuzzling against Sora's neck.

"Your eyes…your hair…your voice…your muscles…your laugh…" Sora fluttered his eyes closed.

"Heh…I didn't know I was such a turn on…," Riku sighed into Sora's ear. His warm breath and soft touch was really making it hard for the younger boy to stay sane while in his boyfriend's arms.

A knock on the door ended this magical setting. Kaze called for dinner through the door. Even though Sora's father never entered the room, the rap on the door sent the two boys far from each other's embrace. Their expressions alone were comical and they had to laugh at one another for their reactions .

They went down the stairs together hand in hand which soon moved to Sora holding onto Riku's arm adoringly

♥

"Hello, is Kairi here?"

It was the next day and Sora was back at the mayor's house again. The only difference was that this time, Riku was accompanying him. Said teen, however, was hidden from sight. He awaited his debut just out of sight on the front lawn.

"I'm sorry, but she's unavailable at the moment." It was a different maid this, but it was obvious that she was told the same phrase to say to Sora.

"Oh, okay. Can I leave a message for her?"

"I'm afraid not. Good day." Before Sora could react, the woman closed the door on his face.

Sora turned around with a sigh. As soon as he saw Riku emerge from his spot, he shrugged lazily, letting his hands slap against his pants. "I told you. This is how it's been all week."

"I see… Well let me try." The two switched places with Riku now on the front porch. He rang the doorbell. Once he glanced back to make sure Sora was out of sight, the front door opened again. "Hello there ma'am."

"Oh hello there. How may I help you?" the woman asked politely.

"I was called here by Kairi so I'm here now," Riku lied. It flowed so easily that it seemed true.

The maid looked confused. "She did? Ms Kairi never told me someone was coming…"

"It was just recently. Is she here or not?" Riku sounded impatient.

"Oh, um, no actually. She's out at the moment, but if you'd like to wait inside I'll be happy to-"

"No, that's fine. I'll be on my way. Thanks though." Riku turned on is heel and strut down the stairs. With the click of the door closing, he smirked over at Sora. "If you can't get the truth, lie."

"How do you know she wasn't lying then?" Sora asked.

"Simple, she invited me in," Riku replied. He flipped a strand of his hair out of his face.

"Sora? Riku?"

The two snapped their heads over to see Kairi walking up the path. In her arms were two bags of groceries. She looked stunned to see her two best friends standing there on the front path to her door.

The girl looked back and forth between them. "What're you doing here?"

Sora stepped forward shyly. "We're here…to see you. We're worried about you. Ever since the other night… well…"

Kairi shuffled the bags uncomfortably. Sora came quickly and grabbed one. Riku watched his moves carefully. He didn't feel jealous of the girl, but he was a little wary of his boyfriend's actions. The older teen knew how much guilt the fifteen year old had on his shoulders. The younger boy would do anything to make the girl feel better, even if that meant making a slip up of what he said or did.

"Thanks, but…" Kairi grabbed her bag back. "I can handle it." She half smiled at the two boys, but looked down at her sandals instead. "So you're here and all… Now what?"

"Why won't you talk to us?" Riku bluntly asked. "We thought everything was all okay now."

Sora made a face at Riku as if he couldn't believe what he had just asked so quickly of Kairi. The three stood there in silence.

"It is fine, but it's just taking me some time to get used to the idea," Kairi whispered. "I mean, I'm happy for you two and all and we did get everything out the other night. I dunno… it's just a little weird."

Sora smiled sadly; glad to know the redhead wasn't angry at him. "It's weird for us too, Kairi. We'd like to know that you'd be here for us."

Riku looked back and forth between his two friends. He didn't think what Sora had said right then was the right thing to say. "Um, what he means is… It's weird, yes, but we want some normalcy back like seeing you everyday and hanging out with you. That's all."

Kairi nodded. "I understand. It's just taking me sometime." She smiled at the two. It looked a bit forced in their opinions, but neither pushed it. "Right now we should decide how best to tell Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie."

Riku was prepared for this, but Sora wasn't. He started panicking right there on the spot with his two friends watching. Kairi giggled as the smaller boy fretted over what to do. Riku watched her carefully, though. She was definitely hurt; it was too easy to read her. Sora probably knew it too, but he was probably too scared to ask any questions. Not like the silver-haired teen did either, but he had a little more confidence than his partner when it came to girls.

Well girls with a level of sanity and calmness to them. Ones like Selphie were always a challenge to him, but just Selphie alone was already making him nervous. Sure she was a great friend and he could depend on her, but matters as delicate and secret as this would require a lot of stealthy tactics and probably blackmail. Riku could already foresee bribery as the only way to keep the gossiper quiet.

Joy.

♥

"So...that's what happened," Sora finished. He looked back and forth between his three friends.

Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie stared in amazement at Sora and Riku sitting before them. The five of them all sat around a diner's table. They had just recently finished lunch during which Sora explained what had happened the past two weeks. Kairi was supposed to join them later on. It was her idea to tell the other three.

Riku was prepared to slowly break the news to them, but somewhere along the line, Sora forgot their plans all together. Where ever the words, "We'll tell them gently" went in that spiky head of his, they never touched home. The older teen kept quiet the entire speech and now was red in the face from embarrassment. He kept his hand firmly against his forehead.

"Wow… that's… _so romantic_!!!" Selphie held her hand over her heart.

Wakka and Tidus sighed. Tidus slid down in his seat while Wakka crossed his arms

"Well, as long as you don't do anything too weird, I guess it's okay," Tidus said. He smirked.

"Gee, I'm so glad we got your permission there, Tidus," Riku said. He was so relieved everything was going well at the moment.

"How do ya think everyone else will react?" Wakka asked.

Sora shuffled in his seat nervously. "Well… we're not ready to tell anyone else other than you guys..."

"But," Riku started while slidding his arm around Sora's shoulders in an affectionate half hug. "We're ready to take on anything if it does get found out."

Selphie's eyes lit up. "That is _so cute_! I just _knew_ something like this would happen!"

"You knew we'd get together?" Riku asked with his eyebrow raised.

"Well… it's a woman's intuition! Never question it!" Selphie poke Riku on the nose. "So have you two shared the Paupu fruit?"

Sora spit out his soda while Riku casually raised both eyebrows. The other two boys turned to the female of the group.

"Selphie! That's disgusting!" Tidus yelled.

"Ya! We're tryin' ta eat here!" Wakka looked revolted as he wiped the spit off his arm from Sora.

"No," Riku replied finally. "I don't see that happening anytime soon."

"Aw! You totally should! I still gotta try it!" Selphie sighed deeply as if to dramatize the thought of it. "If two people really care for each other and if they share it, their destinies will become intertwined. They'll always be together, forever and ever!"

"Yes Selphie… We know of the legend…," Sora sighed. He rubbed his hand on his forehead. "But I don't need the Paupu fruit to know that about Riku…"

Riku smiled tenderly down at his boyfriend. He pulled him just a little closer.

"See now we don't wanna see that!" Wakka exclaimed. "Can you two tone it down on the mushy stuff there?"

"Hey! I can't help it!" Riku exclaimed with a smile as he pulled Sora practically into his lap. The group all laughed at the playful banter. "But seriously you guys, don't tell a soul.

The sudden seriousness tone the conversation had taken sucked out all the happiness. The vacuum effect left everyone speechless. They all stared at one another, then their drinks, and then at the table. Wakka was very interested in picking at the seat.

"Guys?" Sora asked quietly. "You won't tell anyone will you? This is a big deal."

"I won't tell anyone," Wakka said. The couple smiled back at their friend .

Tidus looked at them through his messy bangs sadly. "I'm a little surprised you'd think I would blab this sort of thing out."

Riku sighed and leaned back in his seat. He ran his hair through his hair and said, "It's not you two I was worried about."

Automatically all the boys stared at Selphie. The girl squeaked. "You make it sound like the instant I leave here I'll tell everyone in the vicinity."

"I'm surprised you're not texting anyone right now," Sora chuckled. The girl crossed her arms, a little hurt by the boy's playful words. This shut him up instantly.

Rolling his eyes at Sora's poor choice of words yet again, Riku step forward. "Not to say we don't trust you Selphie, we do. We wouldn't have told you if we didn't. We just want to make sure you all understand the importance of this matter."

"Well of _course_ I do!" Selphie exclaimed. "If you don't want me to tell anyone then my lips are sealed! I promise."

Both boys sighed in relief. Tidus and Wakka shook their heads. They knew what was coming.

"However." Sora and Riku then knew they were doomed. They shouldn't have counted their lucky stars so soon. "I would like to see some cute moments between you two."

"What, right now?" Sora asked.

"No! Not right now!" Tidus and Wakka exclaimed. The trio stared in surprise.

"We'd like to keep our food down," Tidus said, patting his stomach.

Wakka nodded furiously. "Yeah, just because we accept this, ah…situation, doesn't mean we need ta see it, ya?" He looked a little disgusted.

"Well then in private!" Selphie cried with her fist in the air. "Oh and you have to pay my way for lunch."

Sora's mouth fell open, but Riku laughed. He laughed so loudly that others in the diner grew worried and even those at the table wondered what was wrong. Sora knew nothing was wrong. It was just nice to know that they had their friends behind them for this turn of events. Especially since they were starting high school tomorrow. Friends were kind of needed for this matter.


	6. Chapter 6

_hoshiko's note: _thanks for reading this far, but it's not even half way. i hope u're all liking my stuff, but it's hard to tell. i get no reviews. i mean i do, obviously (u can all see the number), but not enough feedback. i'd like to know what i'm doing wrong or what i'm doing right. thankies to u all.

oh yes and i went back and messed around with chapter 5 some. not major, but enough. i really enjoyed this chapter and it's a light hearted one compared to the previous chapters and the ones coming up. especially chapter 8... oh dearie...  
but as i said school is starting and my best friend's 20th is popping up and i'm off to disneyland to bask in all the king's glory. i shall be sure to update before i leave.

* * *

_Chapter 6_

First days of school are never fun -- that much can be said for the majority of the entire under aged population. This proved to be exceptionally true for the Keyblade bearers as all three of them had to literally be dragged from their beds. Kairi threw her stuffed animals with growls and threats, Riku's eyes turned murderous as he begrudgingly crawled off the floor, and Sora just turned into complete mush making it a chore for Fuu.

"Sora! Get up!" Fuu exclaimed. She sighed deeply with her hands akimbo. "What is wrong with you? Don't you wanna see your friends?"

There came an incoherent reply that normally would mean nothing. Fortunately for the experienced mother, she knew the tongue of the teenagers; especially the sleepy and unwilling ones.

"Yes I know you just saw them and you do all the time, but what about the ones you don't normally see?" Fuu asked. She looked down at the lump on the floor that was her son. He was currently tangled up in his bed sheets as they too were dragged down. Another muffled response brought another sigh from the mother. "You're a year behind Sora, and you'll fall even further if you don't get up now. You're lucky your school doesn't offer summer classes or else your butt would've been in it!"

She lightly kicked at the aforementioned butt. "Now, _get_ up! Don't _make_ me get the hose!"

Sora bolted up with a wide eyed, panic stricken look to his face. His hair was mussed to one side, resembling a look of that similar to his Nobody. Upon seeing his mother standing over him and laughing, his expression changed to a stern glare.

"Thanks, mom…thanks a lot," Sora yawned. "You _had_ to bring up that little incident…"

"You deserved it." Fuu picked up the sheets on the ground, tossing them back onto the bed with a giggle. "You wouldn't get up."

"I was really tired!" Sora whined.

"It was your 8th grade graduation day! You had to get up!" Fuu turned to her son. "Now, get going. You've got five minutes to get out of here."

It took Sora a minute, but then he shot up in utter horror. "_Five minutes_?!" He ran about his room grabbing for the scattered pieces of his school uniform. "Mom!!! Why didn't you wake me up earlier?!"

But Fuu had already left. Sora growled as he struggled with his tie. "I hate this stupid thing…" The boy opened his door in a flurry while trying to put a sock on, only to trip over sideways and fall down the stairs. Two years of being agile didn't go to waste as the teen grabbed the side of the step, flipped himself over, and landed with a soft thud on the landing. "That was close."

"How…did you do that, son?" Sora looked over in surprise to see his father standing in the living room.

"Well…my school's known for its athletic department for a reason," Sora lied quickly. It was a well proven fact that Sora always failed horribly in his P.E. class. The teen would always claim that his feet were just too big and were constantly in his way.

"Really…?" Kaze obviously didn't sound convinced. He didn't have time to say anything more as Fuu bustled into the area.

"Oh wow, you're all dressed and ready to go!" Fuu exclaimed, mocking amazement. "You can really move when you want to, huh?"

"Well, yeah, if I only have five minutes to get to school! Oh man, Riku and Kairi are gonna hate me for making them wait! Well, that is if they haven't left yet." Sora bent to grab his book bag lying by the door.

"Oh, silly, you don't have five minutes to get to school," Fuu said with a giggle. Sora stopped. "You have five minutes to get to your meeting place to walk with Riku and Kairi before they get angry."

"_Mom_!" Sora exclaimed angrily. "I can't believe you!"

"Well, now you can take a leisurely stroll and be there early for once!" his mother said happily.

"Oh yeah, wonderful." The brunette quickly slipped on his shoes and opened the door. The bright light didn't even make him wince. He smiled back cheerfully. "Wish me luck on my first day of junior year!"

"Luck!" Kaze and Fuu said in unison. They watched as the light left the room with a skip and hop down the front steps.

"They grow up so fast, don't they?" Fuu sniffled.

"They also gain new abilities…," Kaze mumbled.

♥

The island never changed; it never wavered in its serene atmosphere. While to Sora, Kairi, and Riku it turned into a jail two years ago, it now held a nostalgic feeling to it. Late at night while Sora rested from his battles, he'd watch the stars and guess which one was Destiny Islands. It wasn't exactly a healthy thing to do, as it drove him insane with homesickness, but it was the only thing he could do.

He'd fall asleep thinking of just what his friends and family did. Imagining their daily routine that no longer involved him made the teen's heart ache as he pined for his soft bed, his warm house, and his island. Growing up on the islands the way he did, the teen knew how important teamwork and family was. Sora was sad to leave and wish to see other places without his family, but isn't that what he'd do for college?

The trio had all agreed to move away to go to college. The thirst for new sights, new friends, new hangouts, and new traditions just made their blood boil. It was an old promise that Riku had come up with on Sora and Kairi's first day of high school.

"_I'll be graduating first, but I don't wanna be a year ahead of you guys in college. I'll just take a year off and work to raise money for us to spend it on whatever we want," Riku had said._

"_You mean whatever _you_ want, Riku," Kairi said while pointing at Riku. "Just because you'll have full time doesn't mean we won't have part time!"_

"_We will?" Sora had asked. He looked nervous as Kairi had glared at him. "I mean, yeah! We will! You don't have to waste your money on us!"_

"_It's not wasting, but if you say so." Riku had smiled. They all then put their hands together. "It's a promise."_

'_We'll all go to the same college!" Kairi said happily._

"_And we'll all graduate at the same time!" Sora exclaimed._

Little promises like those was what sat in the back of the brunette's mind during his journeys. Sure the promise to return home and to find Riku and the King were the biggest, but there were many more; small ones that made up a meaning in his rather monotonous island life. Two years ago, Sora would have said the promises were important, but his current mission to get out to other worlds was number one. Now, the list of key things in his life had been switched with the little promises of everyday at the top.

However, if the Keyblade master was needed again, he'd drop everything to protect that list and this peaceful island.

"Sora?" Said boy looked down from his gaze into the sky to see Kairi. She was leaning up against a white picket fence of someone's front yard, her cell phone and schoolbag in her hands. "What're you doing here? It's way too early for you."

"I turned over a new leaf!" Sora replied triumphantly as if he had just won a game.

"Uh huh… Did your mom spray you with the hose again?" Kairi asked with the same tone of disbelief Sora's father held in his voice.

"No!" Sora cried.

Kairi chuckled with her hand over her mouth. "You deserved it back then. You were going to be late to your own graduation."

"Gee, thanks your highness," Sora mumbled. He looked away from his friend with a huff and a pout.

"You're very welcome, hero boy," Kairi giggled.

It would seem like old times if there was only one thing missing from that scene: that being the fake look in Kairi's eyes. Her smile and the light in her eyes were forced; there was nothing true to it. One watching would've noticed how hard the redhead tried to fit into the picture of Sora's life. The girl walked closer to him, laughed at everything he said, and constantly fixed herself to look presentable.

It was no use since the boy wasn't even looking at her. He kept glancing at his feet, back behind him, or in front. It was obvious he was anxiously waiting for someone.

Kairi noticed this after awhile as Sora's reaction time dwindled. She sighed. "Riku's not gonna be able to join us on our walk today."

"What?" That caught the brunette's attention instantly. He saddened. "Why not?"

The girl shrugged without looking at her friend. "He said it had something to do with his grades. Didn't he text you, too?"

Sora quickly rummaged through his bag until he found his cell phone. Sure enough, there was a little icon indicating he had indeed gotten a text message.

Kairi glanced over the boy's shoulder to sneak a glance. "Yours is more detailed than mine."

-_Hey Sora. Sorry, I won't be able to come with you to school this morning. I actually passed my junior year and am not being held back like we thought. So I have to go in and arrange my schedule. I'll be there as soon as I can._

_Riku_-

"Wow! He was able to catch up! Good for him!" Sora exclaimed happily. He slapped his phone shut with a bright grin. Suddenly, filled with pride for his boyfriend, the teenager linked his arm with Kairi's and ran towards the school.

Kairi yelped in surprise as she stumbled to keep up with Sora. "Whoa! What happened to you?! Where'd this sudden burst of energy come from?!"

Sora looked back with his blinding smile. "I'm just so happy! Today's going to be a wonderful day!"

There are things Sora can predict, like the next attack an enemy will deal him and maybe even the weather. However, there are things that can completely catch him off guard; such as Goofy understanding something before anyone else. What Kairi had to say next took the boy for surprise.

"No one at school, except our friends, knows of you and Riku," Kairi said quietly. Sora stopped in his tracks. How could he be so stupid and forget that?

"You're right… What're we gonna do?" the brunette asked, looking at his friend in almost horror.

Kairi's heart was struck a little too hard by Sora's face, but she brushed it aside. Sora was a little too dense to pick up on people's feelings, especially when it came to the female gender. She smiled sadly as if she was feeling his distress.

"We're gonna have to play along that you and I are still going out," she replied. Sora mulled it around in his head for a few seconds before nodding.

"We better tell Riku," Sora said.

"I'm pretty sure he knows," Kairi giggled. "He doesn't forget things like you do."

"Hey!" Sora exclaimed, but he knew the redhead was right. "So, we're just going to pretend to be together until it falls apart or something?"

Kairi's giggles soon stopped as she thought Sora's options over. She looked down sadly. "I guess… Then we can play it off that we just…broke up…"

Sora looked over at his friend to see she was getting a little emotional over the entire ordeal. Without even thinking about it, he grabbed Kairi's hand gently. She looked at the brunette with a grateful smile on her face.

"Come on. Our friends are waiting for us," Sora said with his ever bright smile.

The two arrived with a welcome reception to school. Their peers asked them the usual of how their summer vacation was all the while noticing the two never parted hands. This added to the gossip and buzz that things in their relationship were wonderful. It was just before class started that the first rumor started, though.

"Hey Sora?" asked a girl. Sora was wary of this girl because he knew her attitude as being one that ruled the school. However, he kept his good natured smile on his face and looked up at her. "I heard that some people saw you and Riku holding hands downtown during the break."

A few of the girl's friends giggled around her. These girls were just as bad as their leader only because they were only friends with this girl to get protection from any gossip. No one even really remembered their names; it was that bad. Sora didn't realize they were there and jumped at their laughter.

"I don't remember doing that," the brunette lied. "Riku and I are close, though, so if that did happen, it's nothing more than best friend stuff."

Kairi and Selphie had to bite their tongues to not groan at the lack of choice words Sora could've picked. They wanted to intervene, but that might look like they were covering up the rumor. Instead, they were saved by a tall, platinum haired boy.

"Oh come on Sora, tell them the truth. You lost a dare and the rule was you had to act like a girl the rest of the day," Riku said with laughter in his voice. Sora spun around in his seat. His friend was standing behind his seat with his hands in his pockets and a lazy grin spread across his face. "You're such a coward."

"Thanks for spilling the beans!" Sora cried. The two wordlessly spoke to one another with their eyes. The brunette knew he would have to pay big time later for Riku's save. The teen turned back around with his arms crossed; it was time to put on his cute pout and huffy demeanor. "I kinda wanted to save the little pride I have."

Riku poked Sora in the cheek playfully. "That was lost the minute you started doing that."

Somehow, through Riku's smooth moves and Sora's protests against what his friend had said, the rumor was forgotten and the tension lifted. Oh boy, would Sora have to pay later.

That later came when it was time to go out for physical education. Everyone usually bet on how badly Sora would do that day while the girls giggled over Riku's toned body. The years were usually combined during P.E., giving the school a reason to not hire more teachers-- the cheapskates. Today wasn't any better as the girls swooned over how matured the platinum haired teen had become and everyone surmised how clumsy Sora had become from the lack of being in P.E. for two years. The game was never ending.

Since it was the first day of school, the teacher wanted to test their limits and have them do basic activities such as running, hurdling, push-ups, etc. In short, the most tiring and annoying things a person could physically do in forty-five minutes. The boys' uniform was the most perfect way for the girls to ogle Riku's defined legs and arms, but to everyone's surprise, it seemed Sora had also improved on his physique. This did not go unnoticed.

"Wow, the shrimp's hittin' puberty!" one boy said with a smirk as soon as he saw Sora changing in the locker room.

Sora quickly pulled his shorts up in embarrassment. He worked hard to make sure Riku didn't find him, even though the upperclassmen have a different section of the locker room to change in. Some of the other boys mocked him, but it was all good fun. The brunette had few enemies in school; he was too likeable. A lot of the boys were actually proud of their friend to finally reach manhood.

"S-shut up!" Sora laughed, stumbling over his shoes. Riku came around the corner and the two instantly became attached to one another. They followed the crowd of boys outside only to happily check out the girls in their P.E. uniforms.

The same boy from before nudged Sora playfully in the side. "Man, you're lucky to have a girl like that, Sora. How'd you manage that?"

Sora blushed with a quick glance at Riku. "Just luck, I guess."

There was a loud whistle signaling the start of their work-outs. The co-ed class lined up, given directions, and then waited. The girls kept stealing glances over at Sora and Riku, babbling away into Kairi's ear with hushed tones. It soon gave the older teen a headache.

"Oh…I so didn't miss this…," Riku mumbled.

Sora looked back over his shoulder with a smirk. "Yeah, but at least you're used to it. This is totally new to me. I've always been in your shadow."

Riku cringed a bit at the choice of words. "Sorry…"

Sora instantly recognized the tone in Riku's voice. He turned to his friend to reassure him that he didn't mean anything, but the teacher chose that moment to call him. The younger boy stepped up to take his chance. His first obstacle was to jump over a hurdle. Why this was still around, the students didn't know.

"Ten munny says he doesn't clear it!" one boy called out.

"Twenty says he runs _into_ it!" another boy called.

"Fifty says he clears it!" Kairi exclaimed. Everyone look at her in admiration.

"Wow, you really believe in your boyfriend that much?!" the girls asked.

Kairi blushed at the word "boyfriend", but nodded. Sora smiled at her, his eyes sending the message of his thanks for backing him up. Sadly, she was cheating. Of course the redhead would know of the agility of her ex-boyfriend; she had seen it first hand.

The whistle blew again and Sora took off. Instantly, the crowd noticed the boy was a lot faster. They watched and anticipated the result. In one swift movement, the Keyblader not only jumped over the hurdle, but he flipped in midair and landed with a firm thud on the ground.

Silence filled the air. It's possible even the teachers on the opposite end of the school were amazed at the sudden change in Sora. The hush in the class was short lived as everyone ran over to Sora to congratulate him.

Riku rolled his eyes. "What a show off…," he mumbled. The teen glanced over at Kairi to see her beaming. There was a twitch of jealousy in the pit of his stomach. Somehow seeing her stand there with the proud smile on her face dropped the confidence out from under the boy.

Kairi looked more suited to be with that popular boy surrounded in the crowd of students than Riku still covered in darkness.

"How did you _do_ that?!" the girls squealed.

"Well…being away for two years… I just…picked it up while I was out," Sora replied. He didn't really lie; he just hid the full explanation. It was how he normally explained his past when friends from another world asked about him.

"Where_ did_ you go, Sora? You and Riku just left!" a boy called out.

"I just…we couldn't get home after the whole islands went into that whole darkness…," Sora mumbled. Some of the students looked nervous and others instantly moved away. It was no secret that the majority of the people on the islands were uncomfortable idea of remembering when the islands were under siege of the Heartless.

It was only when the teacher remembered that they were still in class that he called them back. The students didn't bring it up for awhile and instead moved on to other topics. Riku pulled Sora to the back of the mass and luckily no one noticed; that moment's topic was about next week's dance and who to invite.

"What was all that about, Sora?" Riku hissed. It was obvious he was holding back any anger.

"Uh…oops?" Sora laughed nervously while rubbing the back of his head. "It's not like I meant to do that." Riku raised an eyebrow of doubt. "Okay…well… I did want to put on a show for the others."

The older teen rolled his eyes. "How did I know that was coming…?"

Sora laughed again as Kairi secretly joined them. She motioned them to lean in as she lowered her voice. "That whole show may have been easily avoided, but the topic of you two possibly being together isn't. It won't be bought off with a lame excuse."

"It wasn't an excuse!" Sora exclaimed. That caught the attention of some nosy students. They glanced over. The brunette quieted again. "I mean… it wasn't a lie. I just didn't tell the entire story."

Kairi shook her head. "Whatever, Sora. All I'm trying to say is you two better figure something out to hide this."

Riku crossed his arms. He looked at his redheaded friend seriously. "Just _how_ did everyone see that? It's not like we were in a popular place. We made sure to go out far from the rest of the usual hangouts to not be seen. We even checked everywhere."

Catching on to Riku's tone, Kairi narrowed her eyes. "If you're thinking I told them or something, I may just get offended."

Sora laughed loudly. The two looked in surprise at the outburst. "Come on. It's fine. We just don't bring it up and keep denying everything, and it'll go away. And if we don't do anything to be caught again then we'll be fine."

"Fine from what?"

Everyone stiffened at the voice. The looked over to see a small group of three staring at them. It didn't seem like they had heard all that much of the conversation. Riku started to clear his throat, but the trio looked at Sora instead. They could tell the older one was good at lying, but not the younger teen.

"Sora, what're you trying to hide from?" one of them asked.

"Hide?!" Sora exclaimed with a bright and nervous smile.

"Nice hiding of the panic there, Sora. You're voice cracked. Are you going through puberty again or something?" another one asked. They crossed their arms with a smug smile.

Sora cleared his voice while ignoring the sudden feel of Riku's harsh eyes on his back. Why was this so hard? Why was Riku so upset about the entire ordeal?

"Hey! You six! Get back in line! Class is not social time!" the teacher exclaimed. That was the second time the teacher had saved Sora, and he would be sure to thank the man.

♥

"Riku, why are you so angry about all this?" Sora asked sometime later. The two were hanging out on the beach drinking a soda. They didn't want to go home just yet. The serenity of just being together would be broken if they did, because of parental control. Riku had undone his tie, and it now lay around his neck in a loose fashion; if the wind blew hard enough it might fly off, but the wind never blew too hard on the islands. Sora kept his on.

"What're you talking about? I like sitting on the beach with you," he replied. Sora could hear the smile in the boy's voice.

The brunette rolled his eyes. "I mean with everyone asking questions."

"Oh, well you need to be more specific there, Sora," Riku replied now full out laughing. His friend blushed furiously in embarrassment.

"You know what I meant!"

Riku ruffled Sora's hair. "Of course I did, silly. I just love watching you react this way." Sora's blush got redder, not from being made fun of, though. "I'm not upset, per say… I'm just a little uneasy. You heard what my dad said… I kind of like having a place to sleep."

"If the school found out you, won't get kicked out of the house," Sora said. His voice was of concern, though.

The older teen had to smile at the younger one's tone. It was nice to have someone care and worry about him again. He missed this. "I know but… who knows what could happen?"

There was a tense silence between the two. Riku briefly wondered if Sora was upset with him, but why would he be? Who knew? Teenagers and their hormones and all. It had been two years since Riku had hung out with Sora like this. Who knew how much his friend had changed?

Glancing over at the brunette, Riku had to violently shake his head. Such a thought should not pass through his mind. Sora had accepted Riku back into his life with more than welcome arms. They were not dating, for crying out loud! They had grown up together.

"I'm not leaving you," Sora said seriously, almost perfectly to Riku's thought process. That was what was coming up along his track of mind. "I mean it. I searched all over for you, and I'm not letting gossiping hens and harsh stares to keep me from you. I put up with that enough in the worlds when fighting not just you, but Maleficent and the Organization. I think I can handle our peers."

Riku was at a loss for words. He wanted to come up with a witty remark, but instead he stared at Sora with a sudden respect. Well, it wasn't really respect; he'd already come to admire the hero sitting next to him. Instead, it was surprise that something so meaningful and sincere, not to mention intelligent, had come out of Sora's mouth. See what two years had done? And Riku had the misfortune to miss it.

"Wow, Sora… that was… Did Goofy tell you to say things like that?"

Sora rolled his head over with an eyebrow raised and his mouth set straight. "Lame and late, Riku. You're losing your touch!" The boy put his hand to his mouth while mocking a gasp. "Oh, dear, no!"

Riku tosses his empty soda can aside and tackled Sora down. The younger teen cried out in laughter. "Oh, hell no. I never lose my touch!"

Completely ignoring the matter at hand, the two boys returned to better things to do such as wrestling and throwing playful insults at each other. Why bring more drama into such a nice day? Nothing had gone wrong from the moment they woke up to the last minute they were awake. Before drifting off to sleep, both wished for the same type of day tomorrow and the days ahead.

But who knew with high school these days?


	7. Chapter 7

_hoshiko's note:_ sorry for the delay. personal issues popped up and as i warned, college comes into play. special thanks to Terranei Parker for always reviewing and stuff. means a lot to me. i'd like more reviews though.  
this chapter is one of my personal favorites. it's more my normal style. hope u all like it too.  
btw: this chapter is _heavily_ influenced by passion/sanctuary and hikari/simple and clean. it's mainly cuz i just rebeat the games for the billionth time and it kind of happened.

* * *

_Chapter 7_

Sora was wondering if his luck would last much longer. Things at school had calmed down; though everyday the poor teen was followed by clubs begging for him to join their team. He had to turn them down. His studies were more important, and he knew his mother would kill him if he explained to her that he had to shove math aside as he went out to hit little balls with sticks. She would probably ground him. It did bother Sora, though, that he couldn't join a team like Riku and the others. Everyone, but him, was involved in some extra curricular activity. Okay, well, cheerleading for Selphie and Kairi wasn't something the brunette considered a sport, but he'd never tell them that. Those pom poms could become dangerous.

Turning over in his bed, Sora looked at his nightstand. It was a simple picture of the entire group of friends taken a few weeks before the island was swallowed in darkness. How different everyone looked shocked Sora. But it was how much he had physically changed that made him go off in his thoughts. Had he ever been that short? Did he really wear those shoes? His hair was still the same, however. That was something not even gravity or water could change. The teen had to chuckle as he looked at Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie. They hadn't changed all that much. Sure they grew and their voices changed, but their personalities were still the same as they were two years ago.

But it was how Kairi and Riku looked that really made Sora think back to how things used to be. Kairi was between the two boys with her hands behind her back smiling with her bright smile. Her hair was shorter and she looked so meek. Something had changed in the redhead. Somewhere along the line of having her heart put in Sora's, being left alone on the island, and being kidnapped again, the girl had shed her old shell. It was nice. Sora always had this feeling in the back of his head that Kairi had always agreed to go with Riku and Sora because it was a normal thing, not because she wanted to.

To Sora, Riku changed the most. While the two sat on the dark beach after defeating Xemnas, they sat in silence. They both had silently agreed to not go into in depth detail of all the battles and ordeals they had undergone. It was probably too painful for Riku. Sora half expected his boyfriend to become reclusive once home, but instead he had returned to his normal self. There was a humble side to him now, however. He could still be cocky in some places like sports and math, but he would never return to his old self.

"_People change," Kaze told a young Sora long ago._

"_Can they change back?" the boy asked with wide, naive eyes._

"_It's pretty hard__ and most people change because they didn't like who they used to be," Kaze replied. "Soon, you'll change and grow up. It might mean you'll lose some friends along the way, but-"_

"_What?!" This scared young Sora a lot as he gripped his father's sleeve tightly. He began to dread such a thing ever happening, especially with his two friends. "I don't want to lose Riku and Kairi!"_

_Kaze chuckled. He ruffled his son's hair tenderly. "That might not mean you will. If you three are true friends, then you'll learn to stay friends no matter what. But who knows what'll happen when you change. You may want to get away from them more than anything or you'll just drift away."_

_The young Sora crossed his arms and huffed, "I'll never leave Riku and Kairi. We'll always be friends!"_

The teenaged Sora had to smile at his memory. He may still be a bit slow on certain aspects and naïve in most areas; however, he still knew he had changed a lot. He felt stronger and a lot more confident. Could the same be said for Riku?

Sora sat up in bed. Something had hit him like ice water. His mind raced with questions that only one person could answer. Without thinking what time it was or the repercussions of what he was going to do, Sora pulled his jacket on and ran down the stairs.

"Sora?" Kaze was sitting in his recliner as his son thundered down the stairs. He muted the television. "Where are you going so late? You have school tomorrow."

Sora tried to stop quickly, but it was hard with socks on a hardwood floor. "Dad, you said people change, right?!"

"Yes…," Kaze replied slowly. He was a little wary of where his son was going with his words. He hoped his words weren't coming back to haunt him or something. He had read that such a thing will eventually happen when a child reaches their teen years. Was now the time? Oh dear…

"Can you change into someone else that you may still not like?" Sora asked. He too was a little unsure of where he was going with his thoughts. They were just spilling out a little too fast. He didn't think he'd run into his dad, but now was probably a good way to clear some things up before going to see Riku.

"Sure you can. We are constantly. You still are," Kaze explained. The father's thoughts drifted to wonder if this was about anything dealing with the two mysterious years. "Why?"

"So Riku can still change!" Sora exclaimed. He rushed to get his shoes.

"Whoa! Son, wait." Now, Kaze understood what was up. He grabbed a hold of Sora's shoulder to make sure the excited boy didn't escape somehow. "Just because you may not like who Riku has become does not mean you have the right to change who he is."

"But I'm worried he's unhappy," Sora said. He looked down at his feet, one with a shoe and one without. "We did some things while on our trip, and he might be hurt about it."

"Then get his mind off of those things," Kaze said. "If Riku wants to talk about these problems then he will eventually, especially with you. Pushing it on himself will make things more complicated. You know better than I do that Riku's a very difficult boy to understand. I've known that since you first brought him home."

"But…" Sora looked down sadly. Suddenly, all of that confidence was washed away by the uneasiness and concern he felt for Riku. "Can I really help him?"

"You have so far," Kaze said. "You really don't remember what Riku was like, do you?"

"What do you mean?" Sora looked up at his dad. How could he not remember how his best friend used to be?

"Well I'm sure to you he was a very different person than how your mother and I saw him. To us, when you left the room, Riku turned into an extremely uncomfortable person. He would become quiet and wouldn't keep eye contact for very long. He looked ready to tear his skin off," Kaze explained.

Sora tried not to laugh, but it escaped through his pursed lips to make an odd farting noise. Kaze raised an eyebrow at the sudden noise. He watched his son start laughing before him.

"That doesn't sound like Riku at all!" Sora bent over holding his stomach. An image of Riku pulling his skin off as he literally became small popped into the teenager's head. "Riku was never that way at all! Not even when we first met!"

"_Are you okay?" a voice called._

_A young Sora looked up. He was sitting in the sand, crying. The boy standing over him had short platinum blonde hair; it almost looked white. Wait, it was actually silver. That's quite a color he's got there. Not like Sora could say anything since his hair was so unruly that adults scolded him for his hygiene._

_Sora looked away with a huff. "I'm just fine…"_

"_No__ you're not. You're crying." The boy squatted down next to him. "Did you get hurt?"_

_Sora didn't reply at first. He then shook his head. "No… I… I just…"_

_The silver haired boy waited for an explanation. He looked out at the ocean. The boy had seen Sora before around school. The hairdo was what caught the boy's attention._

"_You're Sora, right?" the boy asked._

_Sora nodded. "And…you're Riku, right?" The young Riku nodded with a bit of a surprised look. "Yeah…I've seen you around school. You're the rich kid, huh?"_

_Riku twitched. "Uh…yeah…but…" He looked down. "I don't like being called that…"_

"_Oh, I'm sorry." Sora wiped his eyes. "It's just that's what everyone at school says."_

"_Yeah, I know," Riku mumbled._

_There was a tense silence between them that was broken only by the ocean. Sora shuffled a little bit. He then smiled up at Riku. "I was crying because I got picked on."_

"_You?" Riku looked over in shock. "I thought you were the popular and well liked kid around school. That's all I see is you with tons of other kids and laughing together."  
_

"_So? That doesn't mean I don't have enemies," Sora said._

"_Then__ why did you get picked on?" Riku asked. He was a little surprised to hear these things from a stranger. Even though the two went to the same school and saw each other now and then, they had never spoken to one another._

_Sora took a deep breathe. So far Riku had seemed cool. Whoever had said he was snobby was lying. This guy was nice. "You can't laugh…" After Riku assured the little brunette he wouldn't, Sora said, "I can't swim."_

_The ocean seemed to be laughing back at Sora. The little boy couldn't take that. He jumped up, fists at the ready, and tears brimming. "Yeah! That's right! I can't swim! A boy born on an island can't swim! Laugh all you want! Go ahead! Do it!"_

"_That's not something to laugh at, though," Riku said. He stood up and looked the boy in the eyes. "I can't ride a bicycle." The silver haired boy shrugged. "It's just the way things are. People are stupid, Sora. Don't listen to them."_

_Sora's eyes widened. He wasn't sure he could believe what he had just heard. Sure he had a lot of friends, but he knew not one of them would've stood up for him if they knew he couldn't swim. This boy, this strange "snobby" rich kid named Riku, had just made his chest swell with confidence in a matter of seconds._

_Riku waded into the water a little bit. He then turned to face Sora and held his hand out an invitation to join him. "Come on. I'll teach you."_

"But Sora," Kaze said, snapping his son back out of his memory. Wow, he had been slipping back into memories lately. "People always act different when they're with friends. What your mother and I saw was someone completely different. But Riku has changed a lot. Two years ago we knew he was a cocky and self-confident boy, but now he seems to be reverting back to that nervous child."

Sora clenched his fists. He turned towards the door. "I need to see Riku."

"It's ten at night. Will his parents be okay with that?" Kaze asked. He watched his son put on his other shoe.

Sora smirked over at his father. "I know ways to get in and out without being caught, dad. Weren't you a teenager once?"

Kaze smiled and turned back to his recliner. "See you tomorrow, Sora."

♥

"What…in hell Christ's name are you doing here?" Riku asked as he looked over at his boyfriend.

"How did you know I was here?" Sora asked, surprised. "I hadn't even gotten down off your balcony."

Riku smirked over his shoulder at the other boy. "I have my ways too, you know?"

Sora laughed nervously as he jumped down. He came into his boyfriend's bedroom with his hands behind his head. Even though he was nervous about what to say and where to go with his intention, but so far Riku was okay with the intrusion and the late time. The older teen sat back down at his desk. He was busy with homework, history most likely. That was the only class he had troubles with, but it was a secret Kairi and Sora knew of and no one else. He'd kill anyone else.

"So, what brings you to my place so late?" Riku asked. He smiled over at Sora, a witty remark forming in his mouth. "Did you really miss me that much or is this math related?"

Sora laughed sarcastically while taking his usual spot on the floor, his back against the bed frame. "No…it's…"

Riku turned in his chair. "What? Is something wrong?"

Sensing that Riku might over react if he didn't explain himself clearly, Sora quickly spilled his thoughts. "Do you like who you are right now, Riku?"

Well, that's an ice breaker. Riku stared at the brunette on his floor for a few seconds before he sighed. "It's better than what I used to be. What brought this on?"

"Well, I was just thinking back to how we used to be, and now you're so much different," Sora said quickly. He couldn't look at Riku just yet. Something in the older teen's voice felt like he was either offended or hurt, but probably both. Perhaps this wasn't the best idea Sora had thought of. "I was wondering if you were okay, that's all."

"Just because I'm different doesn't mean I'm unhappy," Riku replied with a smirk. "I have no reason to be upset right now. I'm with you, Kairi's still our friend, school is going along just fine, and my parents are leaving next week, just in time for the dance."

Sora blinked and snapped his head up. "Dance?"

"Yeah. You don't remember?" Sora shook his head making Riku roll his eyes. "I knew you wouldn't."

"Don't change the subject," Sora mumbled as he crossed his arms. So what if he forgot some silly dance at school?

"But what's the point of talking about this, Sora? I'm fine, really," Riku said. He stared at his friend seriously. "Sure, I still think of the things I did and what I could've done differently, but that won't change a thing. What I have now is what I want, and I like it." Riku stood up and went to stand in front of Sora. "We both went through a lot, and yet, we ended on the same conclusions."

"Of what?" Sora asked. He watched as Riku sat down next to him.

"Well, that even though darkness can be scary and stuff at times, it's needed in this world, just like light is," Riku started. "But you learned through your own way that even if you're not always there, that doesn't mean you'll be forgotten. I didn't…really understand that. Because we were always together I had control over knowing you would remember me."

"You thought I'd forget you?" Sora asked.

Riku rolled his eyes. "You didn't pick that up a year ago? I was pretty jealous of Donald and Goofy."

"Oh…oh yeah," Sora mumbled. He chuckled nervously. "But Riku, why did you feel you had to have control of that?"

Riku stared at Sora. He had a look in his eyes asking the boy if he was serious. "You really are slow with these things. And, here I thought I was cold and heartless."

"Riku!" Sora shouted.

"I don't mean literally!" Riku laughed. He pulled Sora into a hug, the brunette's head resting on his chest. "I meant that… I wanted control over it because I wanted control over you. I didn't want to even think that you no longer thought of me and that… all your attention was focused on someone else. You should know that I want you to look only at me."

Sora smiled and sat up so he faced Riku. "I never forgot about you. The entire time, I would wonder if you were here and if I was taking the right step towards seeing you again. I wasn't sure if I'd ever see your face again if I kept looking forward."

Riku looked down with a slight smile and maybe the start of some blush. He would be sure to hide that from Sora, though. That would only make his boyfriend get the upper hand and there was no way he'd let his brunette do that. "After what I did… I wasn't sure…if you _ever_ wanted to see me again… I was such a stupid and- Ow!"

Riku looked over angrily. Sora had just hit the older teen very hard on the top of the head with his fist.

"If you put yourself down I'll keep hitting you!" Sora exclaimed. He crossed his arms and looked at Riku seriously. While sometimes the boy could look downright adorable when angry, but when serious, even Riku could get a little intimidated. "I don't like hearing you always putting yourself down. You're better than that, and I never once thought of in a bad way, so you should stop doing so too."

Sora's expression softened. He cupped Riku's face to make him look him in the eyes. The sneaky teen knew how much the older teen just could not resist the deep blue eyes and the closer they got, the more control Sora suddenly had on the situation over Riku.

"Please stop putting yourself down. It really makes me sad," Sora said softly.

Riku's face flashed red at the tone of Sora's voice. The boy thought curse words at those eyes and that voice, but he had to say something didn't he? "I'm sorry…but I don't see those wonderful qualities, Sora…"

"Well, I do." Sora pecked Riku on the lips. "I've always seen them since you first taught me how to swim to right this very minute. You should listen to me. That's why I'm here. I'm able to see those good qualities of yours that you can't see."

Riku smiled despite himself. It was probably an extremely corny situation, but all relationships needed a corny moment here or there. Suddenly an idea, one of the extreme corny kind, popped into Riku's head. He pet Sora's hair and said just as gently, "Why don't we go on a date this weekend."

That changed the roles of this situation in a heartbeat. Now, Riku was the one in control again. Sora was completely caught off guard. "A…date? Like a real one? But…"

"We've tired to go on them, but something always happens and we can't have time alone," Riku said. "Just the two of us, ya know?"

Sora fiddled with his shirt, suddenly nervous. "But…what would we do on our…date?"

"We'll do something simple, stupid," Riku laughed. "Dinner and a movie; the old reliable pattern."

Sora brightened considerably. "Yeah! Let's go see that new action movie!"

"Oh, thank you!" Riku said with a sigh. Sora titled his head in confusion. He was about to ask what was up when Riku replied first. "I was worried you'd want to see a romantic comedy… The most stereotypical movie _anyone_ could go see on a date."

Sora punched Riku playfully in the stomach. "Oh, _thanks_! You're making it sound like I'm a girl or something!"

Riku laughed and looked away while rolling his eyes. "Well…!"

"Oh please! You have the long hair and girly features here!" Sora joked. The two began laughing loudly.

"Yeah right! You're the girly one and you know it!" Riku said.

Sora tackled Riku in a playful fight that only two male best friends could get into. "That's not true! I saved the worlds! I can't be girly!"

Riku laughed fully as he began to rough house with Sora. "Kairi helped saved the worlds, and she's a girl!"

"I didn't-"

There was a loud thump and soon footsteps. Sora quickly untangled himself from Riku and ran for the balcony. Riku hurried the boy along and barely managed to make it look like everything was normal as his father stormed into the room.

"What is all that noise, Riku?!" Yama roared.

Riku, now magically holding a magazine while lazily lying on his bed, looked over with a tired look to his face. "Huh? That came from outside. It wasn't in here… It was these kids from school."

Yama went to the balcony causing Riku to jump up in alarm. Had Sora gotten out of the backyard in time? The father looked around out the window and turned back to his son. The teen smirked at his dad, playing it off that everything was okay.

"Get to bed," Yama said as he started to leave.

"Oh, I'm going out on a date with Sora this weekend," Riku said. Yama stopped in his tracks. "I'll make sure we're not caught, okay. If anyone asks, it was just the two of us and we were going to be with Kairi, but she had other plans. I'll be careful."

It was a little while until Yama made to leave again. He didn't say goodnight or anything else. Riku didn't mind. Instead he got up to look at the internet for movie times. He knew that the week would be agonizingly long until Friday showed up. He just hoped to anyone that cared to spare him some humiliation that no one would see him and Sora on their date, or even worse, interrupt them.

Oh, but the worlds were never that kind to these two.


	8. Chapter 8

_hoshiko's notes: _i cannot do insults... like...don't submit a review to tell me so. i've known this all my life. the point of the part at the end is not meant to be a long, drawn out insult fued. i just wanted to skip straight to the good stuff.  
the hot dog dude (my beta says he's a sexual predator XD "hey there little boy, want a hot dog?") will play a huge role in the next chapter, as will roxas in the upcoming chapters. i don't put in something in a chapter and have it convientely show up in the same one. i kinda like to draw things out, so this is more like a filler chapter-settin' up for the next one which has all the drama. so don't worry...angsty riku will pop up, unlike in this one.

* * *

_Chapter 8_

Sora had never been on a date before in his entire life. He guessed Riku had many on numerous ones, but thinking such thoughts only made things worse. The poor boy's nerves were completely shot. He guessed he could go to his mother or father and ask them about the situation, but if they knew, his dad might have a seizure and his mom would want to record the event; yes, she'd go as far as to follow along.

The teen landed on one option that he knew was a sure fire way to help him out in this time of need. The answer was a redhead named Kairi. Hey, it wasn't the best option. It's just the only one.

Kairi was sitting on her bed with her arms crossed. She looked at Sora with an eyebrow raised and her lips slightly pursed together. While she knew she should be thinking of ways to help the boy out, she mind raced with anger. The girl just couldn't believe Sora's lack of tact and courtesy for her emotions.

"You really want me help on this?" Kairi asked. She tried really hard to mask the obvious pain in her heart at the sudden situation that fell in her lap. The most she could do now was make light of this and help a friend out, right? Or were there girl rules on this?

"I'm sorry Kairi, I really am," Sora said earnestly. Kairi knew she wouldn't be mad at him for long; it's not like he went out of his way to hurt her feelings, and he looked genuinely distraught about the event. "I just don't know what to do. Are there things I should know or do or say?"

Kairi muffled a giggle with a cough. "Sora, it's just a date. It's not like you're going to a ball or something."

"A ball I can handle, but a date is really different to me," Sora said. He sat backwards on Kairi's computer chair and had swiveled it around so the back faced her. He rested his chin on his arms on the back of the chair. "I know how to dance, but not to date."

"You can say that again," Kairi mumbled. She smiled at Sora when he pressed for a repeat of her statement. "Never mind. Listen Sora, it's really not that big a deal. Think of it as just more time with Riku, only it'll be alone. Well… as alone as you can get when you're in a theater and restaurant with others, but you get the picture."

Sora nodded, but bit his lip. "But dates are meant to be closer, right?"

Kairi narrowed her eyes. "Not like that's stopped you two before." There was a harsh silence then. The redhead instantly regretted her choice of words, but not nearly as much as the brunette for his decision to come. "I'm sorry."

"Maybe I should leave," Sora said hastily. He started to scramble up from his chair.

"No, please. I didn't mean to say that!" Kairi said hurriedly. She really didn't want to see him go. She saw little of Sora as it was at school now that their schedules were so different, and most of his after school time was dedicated to Riku. The girl really did want to help, but it just hurt to do so.

"I'm sorry too, Kairi. It was wrong of me to ask you. You're not the only one I can talk to about it," Sora chuckled nervously. He was nearing the door by now. "I'll just call on Selphie or Wakka about it."

Kairi looked down. "I may not be the best to ask…but I was the first, right?"

"Well yeah, of course," Sora said. "You're the first name that popped into my head once I ruled my parents out."

Kairi's fists shook as the nails bit into her palms. "You really…trust me that much?" she asked, her voice wavering slightly. Sora stepped forward cautiously. He was really clueless as to what he had done wrong this time, but if he saw Kairi cry, he'd slip completely.

"Don't cry, please. I'm sorry," Sora said again.

Kairi shook her head. She swallowed the tears. Something in her heart ached, but it wasn't of anger or jealousy. It just felt heavy. Was it guilt instead? Everyone knew that while the girl had said to Sora's face she was happy for him, it was very evident that she wasn't. It was truly hard for her to be there for her two friends while knowing that in her heart, she was rejected, yet expected to stay.

And yet hearing that Sora had put so much faith and trust into her still, even after the rejection, touched the princess. It was as if the boy had released a great weight from Kairi's heart. The girl had felt that weight ever since the Nobody invaded her heart. She was never sure if it was leftover from the incident, if he was still in her heart, or if maybe some of his anger and hate had rubbed off on her.

"It's ok, really Sora," Kairi mumbled. She managed a smile, one that was closest to a pure princess smile. It worked, and Sora stepped back some. "I just didn't know you still trusted me, that's all."

"I rejected you wanting to be more than just a friend, not everything," Sora said. He had visibly relaxed then. "I still trust you very much. I told you I don't want to stop being your friend. I thought… that after saying that it'd be like old times again, ya know? Where I could come to you with any and everything."

Kairi started to relax too. She giggled a bit with a slight sigh releasing her sadness. Her will filled with determination instead. "No, you can. It's just, like I said, a little hard for me. But I want to help, I do. So sit down, and I'll tell you what you should do."

The chair rolled across the room towards Kairi and stopped just short. Sora had flung himself back into the chair with such force that it had moved five feet from its original spot. The two were surprised at this and began to laugh. It wasn't fake or forced, but normal.

"You have to look nice," Kairi started after they settled down.

"Don't I normally look nice?" Sora asked while looking himself over. "I can't fix my hair. You know that."

Kairi giggled and waved her hands. "I wasn't expecting a miracle to happen. I just meant your clothes. You should probably wear a nice collared shirt and nice pants. Nothing too wild like your, uh…_other_ attire."

Sora crossed his arms. "Yes, because I was just going to go on a date in my fighting outfit."

Kairi shook her head with a smile. "Don't get snippy with me. Do you want my help or not?"

"Yes," Sora said quickly.

The redhead stood up and clapped her hands. She grinned down at her friend. "Good, then let's get to your house and see what kind of clothes you've got and just what cologne you might have."

There was a loud thump as Sora fell out of his seat. "Whoa! Wait, what?!" Sora cried. He looked frightened. "Cologne?! Why would I need that?!"

"So Riku can smell you, stupid," Kairi said. She was heading towards her door. "Don't you want to smell nice for your boyfriend?"

Sora's face went off like a firecracker. "Wh-why should it matter how I smell?!"

Kairi turned around with her arms crossed. Her eyes were narrowed, not into a glare, but rather into a look that yelled "Are you _stupid_?!" She strolled over to Sora quickly and knocked him on the head. "It's so that when you two are getting intimate, his nose can enjoy something too. Ya know, to make all the senses happy?"

Sora was at a loss for words. He had never heard Kairi say such things before, especially when just a minute ago, the thought of he and Riku being anything other than friends made her cry. Now, she wanted to get him dressed up like a doll and spray him pretty. Oh, girls and their confusing emotions. Sora briefly wondered if Kairi was on her period, but made sure to not think such thoughts aloud. He might never live to his first date.

"O-oh…okay," Sora said shakily. He guessed it was a good idea to give into the female demands and just do as she said. He _had_ come to her for help and if smelling and looking good were key to a good date, then so be it. He wouldn't let Riku down.

♥

"You what?" Kairi asked incredulously. She was on the phone back home after a job well done fitting Sora together for his date. The redhead pulled the phone away from her ear to look at it as if a Heartless was forming from the ear piece. "You're…serious, Riku?"

"Yeah, I just need to help, that's all," the teen replied over the phone.

"I thought you've been on dates before," Kairi said slowly. First Sora came to her for help and now Riku? What was the world coming to?

Riku made a noise of suppressed laughter. "I just like people to think that way. Gotta keep the mysterious new reputation I've gained up, right?"

"But even Sora thinks you're experienced," Kairi said thinking back to the constant rambling of said boy earlier. He was really worried about how slow he might be on the date compared to Riku.

"Then, that's all the more reason I need your help to keep that up. I want him to keep thinking I'm experienced." There was rustling of clothes on the other end. "So do you think you could come over? I'm looking at- Kairi?"

Kairi couldn't help but laugh. She howled as she held her sides. Both boys were really just idiots. They can save worlds, help hundreds of those in need, and defeat the darkness, but neither could prep themselves for a date. It was amazingly ironic.

♥

After some preparation provided by the wonderful Kairi, Sora was set to go. She had said numerous times to be at the meeting place on time. The Keyblader made sure he was out the door a half an hour earlier than he should be just to make sure nothing stopped or deterred him from his path. Unfortunately, that caused him to become extremely bored as he waited for five-thirty to roll around.

They agreed to meet at five-thirty on the boardwalk near the hot dog vendor. The man who worked there not only sold hot dogs, but some ice cream as well. If it wasn't for the fact that they would be eating later, Sora would've bought himself some ice cream right then and there. However, he only took enough money along for the movies, some popcorn, and his dinner. Ice cream was out of the question.

"Ice cream…," Sora mumbled. He remembered how much his Nobody, Roxas, had loved sea salt ice cream. Thinking of the blonde made Sora's heart ache. Of all things unfair, Roxas' destiny was probably the most.

Sora wondered how Roxas would react to this situation if he were here now. Well, technically he was, but if he wasn't connected to the brunette. The boy couldn't help but smile as he thought a funny joke to himself. What if in some bizarre twist of fate he could still talk to Roxas. They had never really met and spoken only twice, the first without Sora knowing it. How would they get along?

"Well, he _is_ me, so I think we'd get along just fine," Sora said to himself. The hot dog man looked over cautiously, but said nothing. Teenagers these days and their talking to themselves. "But would he be okay… if he knew Riku and I were dating…?"

"I don't care what anyone thinks of us." Sora jumped to the side as he saw Riku join him by the stand. The older teen chuckled. "A little high strung there, Sora?"

"You're late," Sora said, avoiding the witty question. Riku could be such an ass sometimes.

Riku raised an eyebrow. He looked down at his watch. "Uh…not according to my watch or the watch by the bank over there."

"Oh, shut up!" Sora snapped.

Riku chuckled. He looked Sora over once before he came close. The older teen whispered, "You look good…"

Sora shuddered slightly at feeling Riku's breath on his ear and hearing his voice so close to him. He silently thanked Kairi at her wise words. The girl had picked out a light blue, almost white, collared shirt with black pants. The two had to run quickly out to the store when the redhead declared Sora's cologne "not good enough". Was it good enough now?

"And you smell nice…," Riku murmured. Oh, one more point for Kairi and female instincts.

"Thanks," Sora said with a smile. He stepped back and looked at Riku.

Kairi had secretly worked her magic with him too. Though Sora thought Riku didn't need much to improve his looks, he was glad to see he wasn't the only one dressed up so nicely. The older teen was wearing a black V-neck shirt that showed off some of his chest and some nice jeans.

"_You gotta look nice and all, but don't make it obvious it's a date! That way if anyone sees you, you can just pas it off that I was meant to be there originally and never came," Kairi had said to them both._

It worked as both looked nice, but it wasn't over the top date-like material. It just looked as if they cleaned up a little bit and were now hanging out. Sora wanted to lean over and take a whiff of Riku, too, and maybe whisper in a slightly sexy voice something, but the older teen had moved away.

"We better get going. The movie will start soon," Riku said. He smirked seeing Sora stare so intently at him. He would profusely thank Kairi for this later on. He felt his old self returning but not in the bad way. The confidence and egotism mixed with his newfound humbleness kept him at bay.

They left with the hot dog vendor staring after them. Had he heard right? He had seen both of the boys since they were children and catered to almost everyone at the high school. Were they dating? Was that what he had overheard? He'd have to ask around some. He may be a man, but he loved the high school drama and gossip. It usually ended with higher sales.

♥

The movie was dark and loud. It was just perfect. The popcorn was buttered and warm. Since it was a relatively old movie and a new one had just opened that day, there weren't a lot of people in the theater.

"_If it's pretty empty, get the back row and have fun!" Kairi had said. _

So far everything had gone perfectly to what Kairi had described. The movie was probably good as was the popcorn and privacy, but neither boy had cared. They smelled and looked good and, damnit, it was their first date. They were far too busy with each other to notice anything else going on at the moment other than the touch and taste of one another.

Dinner would have to be far more discrete as the public factor came in. Sora had come up with a good idea while they planned earlier in the week. A popular hang out after dinners for friends where anyone could see them was the perfect choice. If questions arose, once again the old reliable answer of "Kairi was supposed to be here, but she never came" would come into play. It was fool proof.

"Did you guys see Encroaching or did you see Trio?" one of the boys in the nearby booth asked. He had turned around and was hanging over into Riku and Sora's booth.

"Oh, we saw Trio," Sora said. "It was kind of funny when Kairi said she didn't mind going to see it."

"Oh man, that was such a good movie!" another boy in the booth said. He popped his head around. "My favorite part is when the helicopter explodes inside the tunnels and the cars go flying at them!"

Neither boys remembered that part, but nodded along. Sora pretended he had to wipe his mouth, so no one could see his blush. He briefly remembered an explosion and cars flying, but it was when he had been pulled into Riku's lap so he could receive such lovely kisses along his neck.

Remembered that collared shirt Sora had worn? It was buttoned up all the way now.

"How was Encroaching?" Riku asked. "I heard it was really scary."

"Oh my gawd, _yes_!" a girl from a table next to them cried. She had turned around in her seat to talk to the boys, too. Where was that sense of alone time going? Maybe the diner wasn't the best place. "I was so scared! I clung to my boyfriend the entire time!"

Riku mentally cursed himself. He'd make sure they would see that next. He knew how scared Sora was of horror movies. The older teen glanced over at his boyfriend. The brunette caught the look in his eyes and shook his head. Riku could hear the boy already shooting down the idea.

But was Sora still afraid of those things? Come on, he had faced so much worse in real life. Was a movie about a serial killer or a vampire still scary to the boy? There was only one way to find out!

"We should go see that next week, Sora," Riku said with a smile.

Sora groaned. "No, I hate scary movies!"

"You're almost sixteen years old. How can you still be afraid of scary movies?" Riku joked. He leaned back in his seat with his soda in hand. He sipped on the draw while watching Sora get upset. Oh, it was fun to torture him, and his reactions made it all the more enjoyable.

"You're almost seventeen and you're having soda from a straw?" Sora asked, an egotistical smile creeping along his face.

Riku put his soda down quickly as he glared challengingly at Sora. Everyone around them yelled out, "Oo! Sora got you good, Riku!" It was on now. Both boys knew it. There would be hell to pay later, but who cared. They may be dating and all that jazz, but when it boiled down to it, things never changed between them. They made up for their past friendly rivalries, but it was still present. Those hard heads could never stop butting one another.

"At least I don't scream out like a little girl when an imaginary monster comes at the screen," Riku said.

"You're losing your touch, Riku," Sora said as everyone laughed at the two. He crossed his arms and shook his head. "That wasn't _nearly_ up to your normal standards of asshole remarks."

"Oh boy, this is gunna be good!" The teenagers all drew up chairs to watch the infamous insults thrown back and forth between the boys. It was almost like a sports event.

Riku smirked as he flipped some of his hair off his shoulders. "Just trying to speak in a way you can understand me, since you're so slow these days."

Sora narrowed his eyes. "Said the boy who got lost walking to the movie theater."

Riku rolled his eyes. "Been gone two years and they change around some of the stuff. Give a guy a break. You'd probably get lost in your own pants. Actually… I think I have that recorded somewhere."

"At least I didn't get lost in darkness," Sora said suddenly. He instantly slapped his hands over his mouth. No one in the area other than Riku understood him.

"What? That made no sense, Sora," one boy said, but no one cared for an explanation.

Riku had jumped out of his seat, hitting the table with his knees. Sora jumped up too, but without hitting himself. He was in a total panic. Everyone moved aside as the older teen tried to escape. The look of pure pain and humiliation was quite evident. The other teenagers could only guess as to why the confusing insult-was it even an insult? - had just upset Riku so badly. Usually, he took more punches than this.

"Riku, I'm sorry!" Sora cried as he jumped in front of his boyfriend. No, the date could not end horribly. It just couldn't. It would be his entire fault for the failure of their first date.

Riku glared daggers at Sora so hard that his boyfriend stumbled back a bit. He had never seen the older teen so incredibly upset in his whole life. So much sorrow and shame was reflected in one expression. It was hard to say anything to such a face when Sora knew that it was his words that caused it.

"I didn't… it's not…" But Sora never got a chance to apologize. Riku ran out of the diner before anyone could question what was going on.

"What…just happened?" one girl asked. She looked back and forth between where Sora stood and where Riku once had. The diner had gone eerily silent the moment Riku's knees hit the table causing the tableware to clatter loudly.

As quickly as everyone in the diner could surmise as to what had happened, Sora was out the door. He ran down the dark street, through crowds, looking through his dimly lit pathway for his boyfriend. The thought of letting such a stupid game get between them yet _again_ caused the teen's stomach to churn horribly.

Sora stopped when he had found his way back to school. The area around him was unnaturally dark, almost looming in on the boy. Too concerned with Riku's whereabouts, the teen waved the darkness off like a fly. His source of light came from a single street light from afar. Wondering briefly if maybe his Keyblade would bring more light to the scene, but the thoughts soon left when he heard some noises.

The boy whipped his head around frantically. "Riku?!" Sora cried out. When no response, but the wind, came, the teen dropped his head. "No…I couldn't have lost you that quickly… Damnit…I'm so _stupid_! How could I have said such a thing?! We were having…such a good time and yet I had to…"

Suddenly, there was a hard fist that connected to back of Sora's head, right on the crown of his head. The boy yelped in pain as his hands flew to the spot where it hurt. He wheeled around, ready to face his enemy, when he saw Riku before him. The older teen had both hands in his pockets and a lazy smile spread across his face.

"Riku?" Sora breathed in disbelief. "What…I thought…"

"Oh please, you _really_ think you'd ever win at a game of insults with_ me_?" The egotism dripped out of his voice heavily. "That may have been way below the belt, but all that abuse is deserved."

"Why did you have to hit me so hard?" Sora asked as he rubbed the back of his head. The pulsing pain was an annoyingly constant reminder of the hit.

"You hit me when I put myself down, so I'm just returning the favor." Riku's smile widened. "And it's a way to get you back for such a harsh comment."

"Sorry…," Sora mumbled. He looked down. Arms appeared in his line of sight as they wound around his waist. The boy looked up as he was pulled into a warm embrace. "I was so scared you were upset with me and might leave or something."

Riku laughed loudly into the night. "Leave? And go where? And how? Sora, I know you've been walking on eggshells with Kairi and me, especially me, but really… we have tough skin, ya know? Just because you killed some Heartless and saved a few worlds doesn't mean you're the only one that can withstand pain. We'll live. We care about you more than that."

Blush somehow managed to end up on Sora's face. Quickly, that blush was hidden when the younger teen buried his face into Riku's chest. It was right on the mark, every word. Ever since Xemnas' little "trick" he played on everyone to reveal Sora's true feelings, the boy had felt there was a need to tread softly. He had seen Kairi break down before his eyes and Riku turn on him, the thought of such a thing happening again scared him to no end. He'd take watching the islands being swallowed up again than witness his two dear friends leave him. Without them, he was nothing.

"I'm sorry…," Sora whispered again into Riku's chest.

The silver haired boy chuckled. He ruffled his boyfriend's hair. "I know a way to make you feel better." Riku looked over at the school. "There's a dance Friday. Shall we make that our second date?"

"A dance?" Sora looked over at the school too, but quickly stared at Riku in amazement. "Are you _nuts_?! How would we pull that off? We can't dance and expect people to not notice. That's kind of hard to cover up with a simple saying of 'Oh, Kairi's not here'."

"Would you stop worrying?" Riku kissed Sora's forehead. "Thinking was never a strong suit. I bet Donald and Goofy would agree with that, and they've only known you two years. Just let me handle the little details."

"Little?" Sora snorted. "A dance is kind of big."

"Exactly. A perfect place for our second date." Riku smiled down at his boyfriend. The little light cast a bit of shadow over Sora's face, but it was his blue eyes that stood out even in the dark. The older teen leaned down and kissed the boy wrapped up in his arms.

Sora returned the kiss happily. It was proof that maybe Riku's words rang true. Things may have changed, but they were still changing. Kairi was getting over the pain and betrayal, and Riku was able to take hits about his past endeavors. Now, it was Sora's turn to move on. Maybe a dance was a good idea after all.

* * *

reviews r much apprechiated. i have a lot of favs and alerts, but so little reviews. i need to know what u guys like or don't like. please. i'm not doing this for my health. i like to please.and once again, riku's reaction will not go unnoticed later on. he will be pissy, so never fear for the angsty riku fans (like my beta and i XD). 


	9. Chapter 9

_hoshiko's notes:_ Sorry I'm updating this so late in the day... Personal reasons almost kept me from even uploading it on time even. So...here it is! You can say the ending was unrealistic, but come on; it's a fanfic! But... if you really don't like it, just let me know in reviews, okay? I see the hits and I have tons of them, but so little reviews. Almost in the double digits here on chapters, so... Please? Thanks and enjoy._  
_

* * *

_Chapter 9_

Kairi had other acquaintances, many of which that cared for her. She didn't always have to hang out with her normal group of friends. The redhead decided it was time to spend some time with them. She invited Selphie along, because if her young friend had found out Kairi had gone shopping without her, the next few weeks of her life would become unbearable.

While out with her friends, Kairi started to feel normal. It was nice being with her guy friends, but males can get so boring after awhile. Especially when her two closest ones were dating, but in secret. Selphie knew, and it brought the two girls closer together. The brunette had made sure to not divulge in her little fangirlish fantasies of Riku and Sora, but instead offered comfort to her lifelong friend. Ice cream and sleepovers were common these days.

"Hey! I'm hungry!" Selphie exclaimed suddenly. The group of giggling girls made their way over to the cheapest spot they knew. "Time for some hot dogs!"

The same man that had always worked at this spot was familiar to them all. He knew all the girls since they shopped on the boardwalk so much. The man smiled as he began to fill their orders. The group of girls continued to babble when suddenly it hit the man. The redheaded girl was supposed to be dating that spiky haired boy, right? That was the word these days. Yet, he was here yesterday, nicely dressed, and talking about dating when the older silvered haired rich boy showed up. So, what was really going on?

"You girls know anything about that short spiky brunette boy and his tall friend?" the man asked. He didn't know the boys too well. They opted for burgers a lot more anyways, and they didn't come with a lot of words.

"What about Sora and Riku?" one of the girls asked. She began to eat her hot dog quickly. It wasn't like she didn't need it; the thing was a twig.

"They were here on Friday, and I heard them say something about them dating," the man said. He handed Kairi her hot dog, but it slipped. The girl had frozen stiff. "You okay, Kairi?"

Selphie shifted uncomfortably, but laughed to evade such an awkward situation they were about to go into. "That's a good one! Sora dating Riku?!"

The other girls followed suit and began to laugh too. "They're not dating! Kairi's with Sora!"

"Besides!" one girl cried loudly. She pushed her way to the center of attention as she had information no one else knew about. "They got into a fight on Friday!"

"What?!" Everyone, including the vender and Kairi, were deeply interested now. "That's not possible! Those two _never_ fight! They have little squabbles, but nothing that big!"

"Yeah! That's ridiculous!" a short brunette stated as she crossed her arms.

"No, really! It was in the diner! Ask my boyfriend! He was there! Half the diner saw it happen!" the girl said quickly as she played with her black hair. "Sora and Riku got into an insult match, and then Sora said something about darkness and then Riku ran out really angrily. Sora rushed after him soon after; it was just awkward. I had never seen Riku so pissed off before, either."

"But that doesn't mean they were dating!" another girl with pigtails exclaimed, bringing the topic back around to the vender's questions. "The diner isn't where couples go. They go to the café or something. Why would they be there?"

"They could've been covering it up," a tall blonde said. "They kept saying you were supposed to meet them there, Kairi, but you had plans."

"Yeah, do you know anything about this Kairi?" the brunette girl asked.

All the girls turned towards the silent Kairi. She was looking down at the ground as she took in all the information. She knew what insult Sora had carelessly thrown about, and it was his fault. But Riku was now hurt and upset with Sora. Did that mean they had broken up? Was there a good chance?

Selphie jumped in to protect her two friends. "Kairi was with me! We were at my house the whole night."

"That doesn't mean she doesn't know what's going on," the tall girl said. She towered over Kairi, waiting for answers. "You're those two guys' closest friend. You know what's going on, don't you, Kairi…?"

"They _have_ been acting weird since they came back from…where ever," the black haired girl said.

"Yeah, and they always hung out together for long amount of time. I mean, I know they're best friends, but it was for insane amounts of time," the pigtailed girl said.

All around Kairi, the girls in her group began to question the rumor the hot dog vender had started. She wasn't sure what to say. She could keep denying the fact, but what use was it? Even if she did claim to be innocent and protect the boys, the girls were still extremely suspicious. And they were in a fight. Would they protect each other? Oh, things suddenly had gotten out of hand.

"Kairi! We're waiting for an answer!" the tall blonde said.

Kairi looked up at her friends with a meek smile. She fidgeted, glanced at Selphie, and dove headfirst. "Well…I…uh…"

♥

"Sunny days are good," Sora said allowed. He stretched and yawned loudly as he walked down the path. "Even on school days."

_Talking to yourself again?_

Sora turned around with a start. "Who's there?" When there was no one behind him, the teen shrugged and kept walking. He glanced back every so often, certain he heard someone. It sounded as if they were right in his ear. Was he paranoid now?

_If__you keep looking over your shoulder like that, people might think you _are_ crazy._

"Okay, seriously. Who's there?! I know you're around here!" Sora cried as he spun around in circles. His head buzzed from laughter.

_Wow, I'm so glad I'm the saner one._

Sora's heart jumped. "Roxas?"

_Oh, you're quick._ His voice dripped of sarcasm. Sora glared at nothing as he imagined Roxas standing before him. _I guess I got the brains, too._

"'Too?' What else do you think you have?" Sora asked no one. It wasn't really that wise to be talking aloud.

_I know I can fight better than you_, Roxas said with a hint of a smile to his words.

Sora shook his head. "Who beat you?"

_Only because I let you._

"Yeah, sure," Sora laughed. He began to walk again. Maybe his Nobody wasn't so bad. Sometimes the boy felt bad he didn't get to know Roxas. He had heard so many conflicting things about him, especially from Riku. Mainly, that he was ruthless and headstrong. But the one thing that stuck in his head the most was what Axel had said about the blonde boy.

_Oh geeze, what did that maniac have to say about me?_ Roxas asked. There seemed to be a playful tone to his voice, one that Sora used all too well when making fun of Riku.

"He just said…that you were the only one he liked," Sora started. He smiled at the kind words the Nobody had to say before he faded out. Briefly, he wondered if Riku would say such things if he was in a situation like that. "And that you made him feel like he had a heart."

_He would say that. _Roxas sighed, which was quite the odd sensation for Sora. _Axel always did have delusions that I was special and made some sort of heart in that hollow chest of his. He can be so stupid._

Sora was a bit hurt by Roxas words. Even if he didn't really know Axel all that well, he suddenly felt the need to defend the Nobody. "Hey, it was nice! Even if you guys don't _really_ have hearts, it seemed like he really cared for you. You should be grateful to have a friend like that."

_I was, until he lied to me and messed everything up. The stupid dipshit._ But something in Roxas' tone told Sora to back off. The blonde in his head actually did sound a bit sad, but also a little hurt. It was something Sora didn't know anything about and was probably best he stayed out of it.

"Sorry," Sora mumbled.

"It's not even nine in the morning and you're already apologizing? Damn Sora, what did you do?" Sora snapped his head up to see Riku standing before him. He had his egotistical smirk across his face that sent butterflies to the younger teen's stomach. The older boy crossed his arms. "You're early today. Is that why you're apologizing?"

"Oh! No, no!" Sora exclaimed, a little bit flustered. He was really caught off guard what with Roxas talking to him, and now Riku mocking him. "It's just that… I heard Roxas."

Riku's facial expression instantly changed. His smirk was replaced by a concerned frown, and his brow furrowed. "Why…did you hear him?"

Sora looked a little surprised by Riku's tone. It was full of such contempt that the younger boy wondered if his boyfriend had forgotten that Roxas was a part of him. Sora narrowed his eyes a bit and said strongly, "Because we're the same person. So what if I hear him? It's nice to talk to someone."

Riku's features softened a little bit, almost as if he was hurt or offended. "You talk to me."

Sora turned away in a huff, clutching his book bag tightly. "I get bored, ya know? It's nice to talk to someone _different_."

When there was no response, Sora turned around. He didn't think much about what he had said, not like he ever did, and was surprised to see Riku looking at him sadly. The younger boy stopped with wide eyes.

"What? I was only kidding around," Sora said.

"So…you two aren't fighting?" Both boys turned quickly to see Kairi standing nearby. She was looking at them nervously. It almost looked like the redhead was sick; she was so pale and her hair was so lifeless. "I thought…I heard that you two were fighting."

"No, we never had a fight," Riku said. "Did people at the diner think we were?"

Kairi nodded. "Everyone knows about it… It's a big deal…"

Sora waved his hand by his nose like he was swatting at a fly and smiled. "Naw, we didn't have a real fight."

"Sora did forget his manners, though," Riku said. Sora winced at those words. It sounded too serious. Had Riku been lying when he said he wasn't hurt by the boy's words?

Kairi gasped causing Sora to return his attention to his female friend. She grabbed her chest making it look like he heart was hurting. Both boys stepped forward, startled. The girl was now shaking.

"Oh, no…," she whispered. There was obvious fear trembling on her every word. "I told them… I thought… that you two were in a fight!"

"You told them what?" Riku asked. He put his hand on the girl's shoulder. She looked so little next to him.

"I thought…that you two had gotten into a fight and… that you might break-up and… But I told them! I told them you two were going out, and now, it's all over the place! Everyone knows! And oh, no, I'm so sorry!" Kairi looked between the boys frantically. She awaited Sora's disappointed face and Riku's glare. She expected one, if not both, to start yelling at her or just in general.

Instead, Sora and Riku looked at each other. They both sighed, almost in unison. This caught the redhead completely off guard.

"Well, I guess that's a relief," Sora said. "Now, we don't have to keep lying, pretending and hiding."

"Seriously…," Riku muttered. He smiled at Kairi. "It's okay, Kai. We're not upset."

"But…you guys…," Kairi stumbled. "Don't you understand what'll happen now?"

"Aw, relax Kairi. You gotta think positively!" Sora exclaimed. He slapped a hand on her back with his wide grin. "Whatever happens, we'll get through it. We've gone through way worse, right, Riku?"

Riku chuckled and nodded. "Yeah. It'll be fine."

Sora put his hand out in the middle of the three. At first, Riku and Kairi looked at his hand expecting some kind of magic trick to happen. Then, Riku smiled and put his hand on top of Sora's. The two boys looked at Kairi. She giggled nervously and followed suit.

♥

There weren't a lot of students at the high school the trio attended. Everyone had grown up with each other and knew everything that went in on around the island. This was why gossip was a lifeline to the young generation. Riku may have put his hand in the pile, but that didn't mean he wasn't extremely nervous. He knew the way things worked around here with word of mouth. He had had first hand experience as he was once the topic of hushed conversations between a special circle of people.

Riku could handle being put down (tough skin grew, because of the past two years). It was Sora he worried about. The poor boy had been subjected to verbal abuse at the hands of the children, but he never knew how to ignore it. The older teen could only hope that during Sora's travels he learned to be stronger in his will.

Unfortunately, neither could withstand the sight and silence that met them at their high school. All three of the teenagers stopped with wide eyes. They had seen the students chatting away loudly and acting normal, but upon their arrival, a wave of tension and stillness settled over the teenagers. Their heads all turned around slowly to stare at the trio, specifically the two boys.

"Wow," Sora mumbled. "That has to be a record or something…"

Kairi tried to giggle, but it came out as a squeak. Her heart raced so furiously out of fear for her friends that she automatically reached out for Sora's hand. The redhead saw some girls whispering things about that movement. The girl could only surmise just what they were saying about her or the boys.

"Come on. Let's get inside," Riku said. He shifted his book bag on his shoulder with a sigh. He tried to act casual despite the awkward situation and all the stares on him. "We can't do anything while we're here."

The other two silently agreed and followed their older friend inside. They had to walk to their lockers and to their class past all the other students just waiting to jeer at them. Sora hummed a little bit to not catch any of the negative whispers. He feared just what they really thought of him.

Once inside the classroom, the trio went to Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie. Almost the entire class was watching them as they moved together to their desks. Sora sighed as he pulled a chair over to sit with them.

"Well… that was fun," Sora mumbled.

"Oh yes. Very memorable," Riku muttered.

Kairi shuffled back and forth nervously. She looked down at her feet with an occasional glance at the other students. "I'm sorry… I really am, you guys."

Sora leaned forward in his seat to stare at Kairi. "What did I say before? We'll get through this. As long as the three of us are together."

"Hey, don't forget us!" Selphie exclaimed. Sora looked back up and smiled. "We're all with you on this too."

"Yeah. We told you we're okay with it," Tidus said, his arms crossed.

Wakka slapped his hand on the back of Riku. "And if anyone is botherin' ya, just let us know, and we'll be there ta back ya up."

"Thanks guys. That means a lot to us." Sora smiled brightly like his usual self, though his heart was filled with worry and fear of something bad happening. But he trusted his friends and knew that they would stand by their words.

♥

It wasn't even lunch when everything fell to pieces. Sora was walking with everyone on their way to get Riku from his classes. He excused himself into the bathroom on the way. Once inside, he wished he had asked Wakka and Tidus to come along too. The bathroom was filled with homophobic boys and a stench of territorial anger. All of them, even those done with their duty, rushed to fill up all the urinals.

Sora sighed and decided on a stall. It was fine for him; it gave him an excuse to get away from the stares. The bathroom quickly emptied out with hushed words. Sora watched their feet shuffle out quickly, and he slowly began to relax. Soon, though, five pairs of feet stood almost directly outside his stall.

_You better take a long time to take a shit, _Roxas said. He sounded upset. _You'll need to form a plan. The minute you finish up, I bet they'll attack._

Sora grew nervous and knew his Nobody was right. But what could he do? It's not like he could summon the Keyblade and beat them down. First of all, he'd get in a lot of trouble for attacking students. Also, his powers would be revealed, and there's no telling what would happen if that were to be found out by anyone.

"You sure are taking your sweet ass time in there… Are you jackin' off?" one boy called. Sora recognized that voice. It was the captain of the baseball team. He and Riku were close friends.

If the captain was against Sora and Riku, then that meant the entire team was. The others outside probably were on the team. The brunette's mind wandered to only thinking of what this could mean for Riku's future on the team. He loved playing baseball and would hate to have to deal with jerks like this. He would eventually quit. That tore Sora to the core.

"Hey, you done?" asked another voice. Yep, it was someone from the team. "We just wanna talk."

They chuckled. Sora sighed and knew he had to face the music. He pulled his pants back up and slowly turned to flush the toilet. He figured that once he opened the door they grab him and toss him around some. That was fine, just as long as they didn't take this outside.

The toilet flushed, and Sora barely had time to even zip up when the door was kicked in. The boys outside reached in and grabbed the younger teen roughly by the arms. For a second Sora thought they would pull him out. Instead they pushed him back into the small stall right towards the toilet.

"No! Let me go!" Sora cried. He struggled and began to kick.

"Why? Don't you like being manhandled?" the captain asked. The others around him laughed.

Sora clenched his eyes closed and decided to use just a little bit of power. It was the only way he would save his head from a drench into the toilet. His body shot out a spark of electricity enough to mimic that of a shock one would get when touching something after shuffling on the carpet with socks on. It worked, and the boys let go with cries of pain.

Sora took this chance to barrel through them and rush for the door. Once free of the small room, he stumbled out in the hallway looking for his friends. He couldn't find them in the short time he had because the boys had raced out after him. They tried to tackle him to the ground, but Sora wiggled himself free of their grasps.

"Stop it! Leave me alone!" Sora yelled angrily. He looked around for any possible help, but the rest of his students just watched like the scene was a movie. "Hey! Stop them! Come on!"

Before another word was spoken, Sora found himself hoisted up by his collar and into the wall. He coughed out a yep of pain and surprise. Blinking back stars, the brunette saw the captain glaring at him. Sora was now his height as he was dangling in the air.

"Sora!" From nearby, Kairi had seen the commotion and now was running over. The others were on her heels. The redhead swung her book bag high and smashed it into the side of the captain. "Let him go!"

Selphie kicked one of the players in the shin while Tidus managed to duck a blow from another player. Wakka had taken on two at time with his Blitzball in one hand and his book bag in the other. Kairi tried once more with her bag, but the captain grabbed it. He somehow still held Sora up with one hand.

"Stop that! I have nothing against you," the captain said sternly. Kairi shook her head furiously. She twisted around to make him let go, but he held firm. "I mean it! Knock it off!"

He shoved Kairi down roughly. Sora winced and wanted to help, but he was useless. He watched as Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie all were eventually pushed down as well.

_Damnit Sora! Fight back! You can take this guy on!_ Roxas snarled. _Why don't you fight back?_

"Sora! Fight! You can take them on!" Kairi exclaimed. She looked at Sora with pleading eyes.

The Keyblader had to look away. Heartless, Nobodies, and Organizations were one thing, but his own peers were another Sora just couldn't find it in him to fight back. Now, there was laughter and taunts. The teen clenched his eyes closed in humiliation. All he thought of was Riku.

"Sora!"

Before Sora could open his eyes, he was released quickly. The captain had been punched right in the side of the jaw. He stumbled back holding his jaw while the crowd of students gasped. Riku stood before Sora to protect him with a deadly glare that had once graced his face when he was jealous of his best friend.

"Sora! Are you okay?!" Kairi collapsed before Sora and hugged him. She sighed deeply in relief. "Why didn't you fight back?"

"All right, break it up," The crowd parted to reveal the principal. She looked extremely sourly with her black hair up in a bun and her black rimmed glasses. Her arms were crossed as she stared at Riku. "I would like to see all six of you in my office right now."

"What about these five?" Riku asked with a nod toward his fellow team mates.

"I'll deal with them later. Now, follow me," the principal said. She turned to walk and the crowd parted once more.

Sora got up without a sound of protest. He didn't even touch his throat. Riku remained quiet and made sure to not look at his boyfriend. The others followed closely after the two. It was extremely apparent that Riku was extremely upset with Sora, and the younger teen wasn't going to confront this issue at all.

Once inside the principal's office, the air had become even thicker. No one looked at one another, but instead kept their focus on the floor. The principal sat behind her desk and typed away on her computer. She then looked up at everyone.

"I'm surprised in you three," she said directing her attention on Selphie, Wakka, and Tidus. "You have a spotless record. It's truly sad." She then looked at Kairi. "You were gone half a year last year and then this year you suddenly disappeared again for three months. Care to explain yourself?"

"Excuse me, ma'am, but what does that have to do with today's incident?" Riku asked sternly. He stared down at her.

The principal shot a hard glare back at him over the top of her glasses. "I'm worried that her time away has affected her well being." She looked back at Kairi. "You've been different since you returned a few months ago."

"I have, but I like how I've changed," Kairi said. "What I did today, though, has nothing to do with that time. I just wanted to protect Sora."

Sora smiled to himself. He was glad to have his friends standing next to him right now. But as soon as that smile was there, it was erased. He wondered if they were as happy as he was to be in so much trouble now. The teen had to look down. He never wanted this to happen.

"As for you two," the principal said suddenly making Sora snap his head back up. "Are the rumors true? Are you two really in a…_relationship_?"

Riku visibly tensed. He snatched Sora's hand and said with forced stability to his voice, "_Yes_, we _are_…"

Sora wanted to jerk his hand back. Riku's grip was far too tight and he was begging to crush the younger boy's fingers. Instead, the brunette looked from his boyfriend to the principal and nodded.

It took a few seconds for the principal to reply. "I see… I will have to inform your parents-"

"They already know," Riku interrupted.

The principal shot another glare at him. Sora cleared his throat to direct her attention back at him instead. "Um… excuse me, ma'am, but Riku's not to blame. In fact, none of my friends are. Those guys who beat me up are. I wasn't doing anything to them when they jumped me."

The principal returned her gaze upon Sora. "Are they now? It seems that you two have been the center of all talk since you _finally_ returned before summer vacation. With no explanation for your absence, you really think that things will return to normal?"

"It's no one's business where we've been," Sora said before Riku could. "That shouldn't be a problem for anyone. And you should stop asking us, because we'll never say!"

A horrible hush fell upon the room. Sora had just royally screwed the situation. Riku closed his eyes and seemed to be trying to not explode. Kairi looked at her other three friends, wondering if they knew what was going to happen next; of course, they didn't know.

The principal folded her hands in her lap and looked at them all in turn. "Well, I see the problem here… I know how to deal with it. Kairi, Tidus, Wakka, and Selphie… you four are to be in detention for a week. I'll discuss that with you later. Sora… you are suspended for a month."

"_Suspended_?!" Sora cried, almost jumping at the principal. Riku's hand, though, held him back. "Ma'am, _I _was the victim here. Why am I the one getting suspended?!"

"Because, I see you as the main problem in school," the principal replied while pushing up her glasses. She wasn't looking at Sora by this time, but instead at her computer. "Since it's you everyone wants to get, you'll be safe away from here for awhile."

"But what about those guys that attacked me? Did you suspend them, too?" Sora asked. His anger was going to boil over any minute.

"No," the woman replied.

Sora snatched his hand away from Riku's and slammed his palms on the desk. "_How can you do that_?! If you don't punish them, it gives everyone fair game to attack me again, no matter how long I'm suspended! This is ridiculous! I've done nothing wrong, and you're punishing my friends and me?!"

"Shall we go for two months?" The principal finally looked at Sora. There was a little bit of mirth behind her glasses and a small twitch on the corners of her lips held back the smile she wanted to express.

Riku pulled Sora back. He whispered, "Just let it go…"

Sora sighed loudly and angrily as he stood back from the desk. This time, he reached out for Riku's hand and clenched it with his own.

The principal cleared her throat. "If I were to punish them, I'd have to punish the entire school board. No one in the school wants to see this type of… _relationship_ go on in their lives."

"Well, tough, they'll have to get over it because we're not breaking up for what others have to say about us," Riku said.

The principal ignored him and pressed on. "So, I haven't punished them, but instead talked to them. If you're gone for awhile, Sora, it'll give the school a chance to calm down and maybe see things differently."

"Fine, whatever," Sora said. He knew that it wasn't going to work, but if he said anything more, he'd get in even more trouble.

"Good, now that we've come to an understanding." The woman didn't finish her sentence, but in stead turned to look at Riku. "You're expelled."

Now, everyone, but Riku, where shouting. They yelled and protested while throwing their hands about wildly. "_Expulsion_?! You can't _do_ that! He was just tryin' to protect Sora! This is totally unfair! You suck as a principal!"

"That'll be quite enough. I'll expel you all, as well, if I have to," the principal said as she stood up.

It looked as if everyone was going to continue on, but Riku cut through. "Don't worry about it guys. Just drop it, okay? I didn't like this shitty ass school anyways."

"Well, I'm glad you can see the positive side of this situation. You're all excused." The principal walked to the door and opened it. She pointed for them to leave.

Riku dropped Sora's hand and moved to leave. Sora reached out to take the hand that kept him sane, but the older teen jerked away. Kairi and Selphie noticed this and exchanged glances. Riku stormed out with Tidus and Wakka walking out, their heads dipped down low. Selphie and Kairi walked out looking worried as Sora trailed everyone. He wasn't sure what to do. It seemed that somehow he had pissed off Riku, and even worse, he had gotten everyone in trouble. And in a matter of a few hours, if not minutes, Riku's father was going to learn of the incident.

Sora stopped in the middle of the hallway, his eyes wide. If Yama knew of the expulsion of his son, would that merit his excuse to disown Riku, like he threatened he would? Grief, guilt, and absolute fear washed over the Keyblader, one of a greater degree than seeing worlds succumb to the darkness or having his impending doom linger closer. Because if Riku was disowned, then who knew where the boy would end up, which might mean that the two would be separated.

_Well__ it's your fault_, Roxas said, snapping Sora out of his private thoughts. He remembered that nothing in his mind was sacred anymore with the blonde in there. _You didn't fight back, and now, it's your fault. And you may be living a life without your precious Riku. I don't pity you._

Sora dragged his feet out of the school with practically no strength to him. "Even if you could pity me… you shouldn't… I don't deserve it. Riku has a right to be upset with me. I'm so stupid."

_Yeah, you are, but you can make it up to him, you know?_ Roxas sounded impatient. _Just go to him and talk. You have the rest of the day. Do it before his dad gets home. And don't start self-doubting yourself. I won't stand for that kind of shit. Just buck up and be the Keyblader that protected all the worlds and killed my best friend._

Sora glared up at his forehead, which would look quite comical if anyone had seen him. "I didn't kill him. He killed himself."

_Whatever, would you just run after your man? Don't make me do the work_, Roxas groaned.

"How could you?" Sora asked. Suddenly his legs began to move on their own. He cried out in surprise as he power-walked out of the school grounds. "What're you doing?!"

_I warned you_, Roxas chuckled. He was making their body head straight for Riku's. But while Roxas could make the body move, he couldn't make Sora think up a good explanation. The Somebody would have to think up his own explanation and soon.


	10. Chapter 10

_hoshiko's notes:_ Oh dear... I'm so sorry for not updating last week. I had a combination of writer's block and then a personal injury that kept me from writing. I had this entire chapter written down in my head, but then...it never made it to the computer. Stupid me.

I really appreciate everything you guys have done for me. Really, it's wonderful. Thanks for the favorites, reviews, and alerts. However, I have to really extend my love to my beta, OhmeGawd, because she's so wonderful for reading these while studying for SATs and losing her kitty. I love her.

Oh yeah, and I changed the summary of this a bit because... well I felt like it was time. The summary don't exactly fit with the story anymore. Stupid me and being bad with summaries. Anyways! Enjoy! Comments appreciated! (smile)_  
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* * *

_Chapter 10_

Sora walked right on into his boyfriend's house, uninvited, and waltzed up to the boy's room. He then swept the older teen off his feet with an incredible apology and explanation. From there, Riku treated Sora to his mouth and eventually his body.

_Wait, back up there, Somebody. Did you just imagine all that and think you're going to have sex with him? Since when did you get so horny?_ Roxas asked. He sounded a bit disturbed, but also a bit entertained.

"I didn't mean to think that up… I just…," Sora mumbled. His face was furiously red. There he stood on the front porch of his boyfriend's house, thinking up a horribly cheesy scenario. Somehow in there, he thought up having an intimate moment with Riku. The scene kept replying in his head until suddenly Roxas made Sora's hand open the door. "You _really_ gotta stop doing that."

_I will when you knock it off with these nasty images. I don't wanna see my body doing those things…_, Roxas said angrily. _Now _march_ up those stairs and be the prince you like to say you are!_

Sora was really getting upset with his Nobody, but at the same time, he was really admiring his strength. The blonde had very good points, and the brunette had only made up excuses or grumbled his annoyance at the argument Roxas was making. The teen eventually just stopped fighting back his other self and did as he was told. The other boy seemed more in control than Sora did, sadly.

Sora walked up the staircase and down the hallway to Riku's room. The door was shut, and it sounded far too quiet for the brunette's mind to take. He was seriously worried about his boyfriend's well being.

_Don't just barge in there. You still don't have a good explanation or a good apology. Wait! Stop! I said not to barge in there! Sora, would you stop thinking with your heart?!_ Roxas yelled. He worked to stop Sora's legs, but the Somebody was now in control of his body. _Damnit! Think for once__ you stupid shit!_

"Riku?" Sora asked as he came into the room. He looked over to see a suitcase open with some of Riku's clothes carelessly thrown in. The boy's heart sped up. "Riku, where are you?!"

"Calm down, I'm right here," Riku said. He popped his head out from his walk-in closet. "What're you doing here?"

Relief washed over Sora, and he approached his boyfriend slowly. "I wanted to talk to you."

Riku strode over to his suitcase and dropped some clothes in. "That's nice. What about?"

Sora winced at the tone his boyfriend had. It was one of restrained anger, and he could tell the silver haired boy was trying far too hard to remain casual. "Um… are you upset with me? I tried to defend you and stuff…but… I'm sorry…"

Riku threw his clothes extra hard in to the suitcase. "Why didn't you defend yourself, Sora?"

Sora shuffled and fiddled nervously. He figured this was what had made the boy so upset. It seemed that was what made everyone else angry with him too. "I'm sorry…"

"I didn't ask for an apology, Sora. Tell me why you didn't take those guys down. If it's 'cause they're my friends, I won't accept that. That's stupid. You fought me, and I'm your best friend!" Riku stopped packing and came over towards Sora angrily. "You could've very easily taken them all down with a flick of your wrist."

"I didn't… I just…" Sora backed up a little bit, but felt his feet stop.

_Oh no you don't_, Roxas said. _I want to hear your reason__ too._

Sora sighed deeply and knew he couldn't win. Better to say it and receive the proper reaction from Riku, than continue to hide it and get the silent treatment from not only his boyfriend, but his Nobody.

"I didn't fight all those Heartless and Nobodies only to come home to those I protected and get my ass handed to me. I fought all those things for them," Sora said looking at Riku in the eye.

"Bullshit, you fought for your friends. Not those jerks. They deserved every bit of punishment as the Organization," Riku said, his voice rising.

_Watch it, _buddy_. I was part of that Organization._

Sora shook his head to shut Roxas up and kept his gaze on Riku. "I also fought for everyone on the islands. I didn't want to fight those I had just protected."

"But it was self-defense, Sora! There's a difference! It was either them or you, and I prefer you over them any day!" Riku yelled. "And besides, if you didn't want to get pummeled by them, then you should've fought back!"

"Hey! Don't yell at me!" Sora blurted out.

"Why shouldn't I?! You deserve it, you stupid fuck! You could've _really_ gotten hurt, and we can't afford to lose you!"

"Why, because I wield the Keyblade? Is that the only reason?" Sora narrowed his eyes.

"What the fuck? When has that _ever_ been a reason, Sora? We can't lose you, because you're our friend!" Riku was getting red from yelling. He towered over Sora. "And why are _you_ upset?! You have no reason to be! If anything, I have tons more reason to be pissed off at you!"

"Why?! Just because I chose to not fight for once?!" Sora wouldn't back down and glared up at his boyfriend. "Not _everything_ is solved by fighting, you know?!"

"No shit, Sherlock! I did a lot of that behind your back while you went off and fought Nobodies!"

"Well, thanks for that! You really helped me out! But it's your fault you had to go into the background in the first place!"

Riku threw his hands up in the air and for a second, Sora feared if the older boy would actually hit him. "So, _now _it comes out! All right, Sora, come on! Hit me with your best shot!"

"You always said I was the dumb one for thinking with my heart, but at least I knew what was right and stayed away from the darkness! I was safe and I got the girl, unlike you! I'm liked by everyone! I'm the savior of the worlds! That could've been you, but you had to be so damn dumb!" Sora began to walk forward, pushing Riku back some. "What happened to our friendship and our promises and our memories?! Do you have _any_ idea how _hurt_ I was?! You chose darkness and some witch and power over _me_! The one you claim to love and cherish! That's such bullshit! How am I supposed to trust you?!"

_Sora, shut up right now if you want to keep Riku_, Roxas said with a warning tone.

Riku didn't look upset nor did he look amazed. He swayed on his spot a bit with a sigh. It sounded as if that sigh was filled with complete relief.

"I knew that was coming…," Riku mumbled. His gaze turned from Sora's blue eyes to the floor below them. "I was just waiting and wondering when all that would come out."

It was Sora's turn to be amazed and even a little upset. Should he be upset over the fact that his boyfriend had been waiting for this moment? Was it Riku's turn to yell at him now?

_Oh please, just leave the thinking to me_, Roxas groaned.

Suddenly, all of the anger Sora had pent up inside his heart was washed away. There was something about Riku's voice resounded throughout the younger teen's body. "Are you…pissed at me?" Sora asked cautiously.

"No." Riku lifted his head up, somehow managing a smile, and brushed his hair out of his face. "Some of what you have to say is right. Some of it is downright stupid, but… if that's how you feel, then I won't argue it."

Sora's shoulders slumped. "What do you mean some of it was stupid?"

Riku moved back to pack up again, but Sora's body worked on its own. His hand reached out, snagging the older boy's arm tightly. Green eyes met blue as they stared at one another.

"What're you doing?" Riku asked with a bit of a growl.

"It's not me, it's Roxas," Sora said pleadingly. "I'm sorry. I'm trying to let you go."

Riku grabbed Sora's arm roughly. "Let me help you with that." The older teen began to twist the offending hand off. It remained after some hisses of pain from the brunette. "Come on, seriously. Let go."

"I would if I could! It hurts! Stop it, Riku!" Sora shouted. The boy did as he was told, but the hand remained on the silver haired boy's arm. "Look… I'm… Roxas wants me to apologize."

_Thank you for listening to me_, Roxas said smugly.

"Apologize for how you feel? Why should you apologize for that?" Riku wasn't looking at Sora. His head had turned away in fear of seeing into the blue eyes of his boyfriend; he might see something he couldn't handle at that moment. "Sora, it's fine. I'll be okay."

"Then, why are you packing?" Sora asked, glancing at said bag on the bed.

"Not everything is because of you," Riku muttered. He, too, had looked at the bag, but never turned to look at his friend. "I know the minute my father learns of my expulsion, I'll probably be kicked out of the house in a heartbeat. I should just pack before he gets home."

Sora, not Roxas, tightened his grip on Riku's arm. "You can't be serious. You don't think that's really going to happen, do you? Riku, look at me, please."

Slowly, Riku did as he was asked. Eyes full of worry looked at the spot just above Sora's shoulder. He could still see blue, but decided to ignore them for the moment. Neither really knowing what to say, they just stood there instead hoping for an answer to this situation. Sadly, if they tried to fix it, the fingers would begin pointing again. It was a stalemate at this point.

"Sora…let me go…," Riku asked slowly, careful to not say anything wrong. But apparently he had, as Sora looked frantic now. The older teen sighed. "I didn't mean anything else other than I want my arm back."

Sora let go and stood back. He knew nothing was going to work. Riku had made up his mind. While neither wished for this scenario to be playing out before them now, there was nothing they could do but move forward.

"Riku… I forgave you…," Sora started. "I forgave you for all those things you did… That's why I went in search of you… If you leave, I'll do it again."

Riku had stopped walking away. He didn't turn to look at Sora, but instead waited for anything more. He hadn't anticipated this. Riku had figured that there would be a fight, feelings hurt, and then he could leave without Sora. It would probably make things easier for him. He'd just move in with a family member that had also been disowned by the family name or even another friend. An apology was new to his plan.

"I said those things just now, because that's how I used to feel," Sora continued. He was walking closer to Riku, slowly, building up his courage. "I was hurt. You had cast me aside for something else… something that we both _knew_ was wrong, yet you still didn't care. But I did. And I searched for you endlessly, twice, because I couldn't leave you… But I don't feel that way anymore."

"But you don't trust me," Riku said, still not facing Sora. Suddenly there was a warm hand on his. Not used to such tender touches, the older boy's first reaction was to jerk it away, but he resisted this urge. The boy he loved was now gently holding his hand like he had always wanted. "It's ok, though… I wouldn't trust me."

"It's just that everything that's going on in our lives: school, our friends, even this relationship… It's all so new to me, and it's confusing. It's all going so fast." Sora tried to move so Riku could look at him. He desperately ached for his touch at that moment as his heart banged in his chest. "I'm just unsure what to do, that's all."

"And you think I'm stable?" Riku sounded like he fought back a laugh. He glanced over to see Sora in his peripheral vision.

"You're a lot more stable than you used to be," Sora said with a confident smile. It was contagious and soon, Riku felt his own mouth twitching to smile too. "I know now that if you were given the option to leave here again, you wouldn't."

A small snorting noise came from the back of Riku's throat; it sounded oddly like a restrained laugh. Sora's confident expression vanished quickly only to be replaced by confusion. "Sorry, don't be scared. I won't leave here under the same pretense as last time. If I leave, I'll choose when to leave."

The older teen chuckled to himself, expecting Sora to do the same, but stop short when he saw the scared look to the boy's eyes. "What's wrong?"

"You're going to leave?" Sora asked sadly.

Riku sighed and ruffled his boyfriend's hair. "I knew you'd react that way. I didn't mean I'd leave and never come back, but you know me. I've wanted to get out of here forever, and now, we have that ability." Sora looked down as Riku continued. "I get restless and need to keep moving. I've seen the outside world. It's like candy. I want to keep going back for more. I can't help it. You know that I'm restless, Sora."

"Yeah, but…," Sora mumbled.

_You think he wouldn't bring you along, Sora?_ Roxas asked; his voice was tender and sensitive. _Why would you think that you can have sex with him, but not trust that he wouldn't go along with you? Are you that selfishly stupid?_

Sora winced at the truth to his Nobodies words. He was terrified of being left behind once more by Riku. During the Keyblader's adventure, the boy wished more than anything to go to all these worlds with his best friend. That wish now had grown even more since he and the older teen were now together.

"I want to come, too," Sora whined. He forced himself to not sound so sad, but it just happened. Why was he starting to act this way? It wasn't always like this.

Riku chuckled to himself. "So, is that what's bothering you? You're so silly sometimes, Sora, I swear." The older boy pulled Sora into a tight hug and sighed into his hair. "It makes me wonder just why I put up with such a troublesome boy like you."

For the first time, Sora thought up a retort to Riku's words. "Because you know if you leave me, I'll just keep chasing you and bring you back here."

Riku rolled his eyes with a groan. "Oh gawd, not back to Destiny Islands. Not here, again!" He cried dramatically, his voice dripping with sarcasm. The two boys laughed and hugged. "This place could be, like… our vacation retreat."

Suddenly, like a bright light, an idea hit Riku. He held the younger boy back with a wonderfully bright smile, mimicking one like Sora's. "The universe is ours to travel now as we please, Sora! We don't even have to stay here to go to college!"

Sora watched quietly for a few minutes as Riku's imagination ran wild with dreams of grandeur. The boy slowly smiled as he watched his boyfriend's eyes light up and his face return to that of a child. Memories of sweet, innocent childhood flooded back making the entire rambling sound familiar. Pretty soon, Sora was shaking from laughter.

"What? Hey, don't laugh at me!" Riku exclaimed. He glared down at his chuckling boyfriend, but soon smiled. His arms moved, slipping around Sora's waist, and pulling the younger boy close so he was flush with Riku's chest. This brought a smile to the older boy.

Sora stopped laughing and quieted. A sweet lull settled in, now that the boys knew they were okay. Sure, there was a problem on the parental level, but as long as they had each other, there was a security that couldn't be severed. Both believed that if one was far away, they would still find one another. Their hearts beat that truth so hard, they could hear it in their ears.

"I was so scared…," Riku whispered. Sora had closed his eyes, but opened them at hearing the words. "When I saw you being strangled… You have no idea…how terrified I was that I wouldn't get there in time… It was just like when we were fighting Xemnas. He caught you in that electric bubble and kept me at bay with a clone. I almost lost all hope of getting to you and saving you."

Sora smiled in Riku's chest, his face blushing. It felt nice to know his boyfriend had worried about him so much. Such concern made his heart flutter about. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to make you worry. I was so glad you saved me… and not someone else, you know?"

Riku breathed a laugh before he kissed the top of Sora's head. "Even heroes need saving sometimes, Sora…" He leaned down and kissed his boyfriend on the cheek, then. Shortly after that, Riku moved to the other cheek and then the nose. He looked at the younger teen in his arms only to catch him smiling with his eyes closed. "Sora…," Riku whispered before descending upon said boy's lips.

The two then began the dance of their mouths with their tongue being in the spotlight. Closing whatever space was left, their bodies became flush with one another. Sora started panting as he felt the rougher hands caressing his face, down his neck, and along his sides. It was startling when those hands pushed up under his shirt to stroke his skin. Thinking that he should do the same, the younger boy tried to mimic his boyfriend's movements, but somehow they came out shaky and slow. Not at all like the relaxed motions from Riku.

A quick gasp came from Sora's mouth when he found himself being moved backwards to the bed. Was it finally time? Was he ready?

_Oh no you don't_, Roxas said. Sora pushed the Nobody from his mind, but he was like a persistent child and pushed to have himself heard. _I didn't fight him only to get fucked up the ass by him._

Sora bit his lip and arched his neck back, allowing Riku access to whatever he wanted. The boy began to squirm as he felt himself grow hard, but at the same time, he forced his mind to shut off and not bring a reasonable Nobody into the matter.

_Oh, I'll get into the matter. I'll make myself a part of this!_ Roxas exclaimed.

"Mm, shut up," Sora whispered as he ran his fingers through Riku's hair.

"What?" Riku asked as he lifted his head from messing around on Sora's chest.

"Oh…nothing, it's fine," Sora replied. He sat down on the bed, pulling Riku onto him. "Just keep going. It feels great."

"Heh, good," Riku chuckled.

He laid Sora back on his bed, pushing his suitcase to the floor. Crawling on top of the smaller boy, Riku then worked on getting both their shirts off. Sora was much too enraptured by the feeling of fingers and warm kisses all across his body. This was what he had been waiting for, but for how long? It wasn't until he realized the reality of this situation that it occurred to him that he had been aching for these intimate touches for a long time.

Riku tore his own shirt off, giving Sora full access to run his hands over the well maintained torso of his boyfriend. While they touched and tasted one another, the older teen's hands found their way to his partner's pants. Tearing his lips and eyes away from the soft skin for just a second, the situation changed quickly.

"Sora…," Riku whispered, tugging on said teen's pants slightly.

"No." That certainly wasn't Sora.

Looking up in confusion at the cold voice, Riku knew then what had happened. Instead of deep blue eyes clouded by lust a moment before, they were now a cold and emotionless azure that could only belong to one who never knew feelings.

"Roxas," Riku said flatly. He was not pleased to see those harsh eyes looking at him again. "What're you doing? Let go of my wrists."

Roxas had clamped his hands tightly on Riku's arms to stop his movements. The Nobody kept his eyes locked on the older boy's, making sure that nothing would continue.

"No," Roxas replied with an almost eerily deadly tone. "He's not ready."

Riku sighed and sat back so he was no longer hovering over Sora's body. He ran his now free hands through his silver locks with a long, drawn out sigh. "So, you took his body over? Why didn't you do this earlier today when he was getting attacked?"

"Hey, don't blame me for that," Roxas said bitterly, his eyes narrowing a fraction. "I tried and I yelled at Sora to fight back, but the stupid twit wouldn't. You now know why, and you have me to thank for that."

Riku looked at Roxas with a raised eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Roxas had begun to button his school uniform back up while he spoke. "I told Sora to go and face you; calm you down some. It took a lot of persuasion on my part. He's such a baby. I guess I'm the one with bravery in this body."

Riku grabbed Roxas arm tightly. The blonde glared up at the older teen without moving his head. "Don't you ever say that Sora isn't brave. He's done way more than you ever will."

"Funny, I thought we were the same person," Roxas growled.

Riku smirked. "If that's the case, then I guess you're a baby, too." Roxas tried to yank his arm free, but Riku squeezed. He wasn't finished with the Nobody. "Roxas…I want you to do me a favor."

"A favor for you?" Roxas scoffed. He stared at Riku like he was crazy. "You've gotta be kidding me."

"It's more like a promise," Riku sighed. He was fighting back the urge to punch the boy in the face. But he reminded himself that the sweet face, though it may be masked by the Nobody, still belonged to Sora. "It works in your favor too, you know…"

There was a tense silence for a heartbeat before Roxas chuckled. "All right. I'll bite."

"If something should ever happen to Sora… and he doesn't want to fight back because he doesn't want to hurt them… I want you to promise that you'll take over his body and protect him." Riku looked in the blonde's eyes, searching for the answer before the boy had spoken.

Roxas stared right back, trying to see the seriousness Riku was conveying. It was a few minutes before the blonde nodded and then got his arm back.

"Thank you," Riku said, a small smile starting to form on his face.

"This includes you too, pervert," Roxas said suddenly. He smirked at Riku as he zipped his pants back up.

Riku snorted as he pulled his own shirt back over his head. "I'm not a pervert, Roxas. It's called normal, teenage hormones. Something you'll never experience."

Roxas held a hand over Sora's heart. It would be his if he was the Somebody, but sadly, he isn't. "Oh no! I can't be a sex driven teenager! How will I _ever_ manage!?"

Riku slapped Roxas upside the head and for just a moment, the two accepted each other. But it was only for Sora. Both knew that was the case, and soon the awkward situation was over. The blonde stepped aside for his Somebody to regain control again.

"I'm…sorry," Sora mumbled. He didn't know what had happened at first, but Riku calmly explained things. The younger teen looked embarrassed as he fiddled with his fingers. "I thought…"

Riku's hand rested upon Sora's head, making the younger boy look up. "It's okay, Sora. You don't have to apologize. If you're not ready, then you're not ready. Simple as that."

Sora nodded and smiled reassuringly. "Yeah, you're right."

The brunette started to get up, but Riku hugged him tightly. He lay down next to the smaller boy, holding him tenderly. Feeling Sora tense up, the older teen had to smile and whisper into his ear. "It's ok. I just want to be with you while I still can."

Sora relaxed quickly, but looked at Riku confused. "What do you mean?"

Riku sighed as he brushed some of Sora's spikes to the side giving him a nice resting area for his face. His cheek rested there comfortably. "I know that when my father gets home, I'll probably never be able to return to this house, and it might be awhile before I find a place to stay, so… Who knows when we'll be together again like this?"

Sora sighed sadly, but decided to not argue with it. The matter was done and over, and now all he could do was hope for the best. Maybe Riku's father would let it slide and somehow get his son back into school with him. Who knows?

_Boy…you sure are the dreamer, Sora_, Roxas said flatly. _You _really _think that everything is going to come together in your perfect little world? You have got to be kidding me._

Hey, one can hope, right? Sora asked Roxas.

Roxas shook his head. _No… you need to wake up and smell adulthood. It's not your little playtime anymore. This is serious. And you better start seeing how important it is. Or else, you're gonna get another slap in the face__ and there's a good chance neither Riku nor I can help out._

Sora understood the severity of the situation better than Roxas could know, even if he was his Nobody. He snuggled deeper into Riku's chest, hoping that for a little while longer, he could stay in his childhood dreams before stepping back out to the pain reality would soon deal him.


	11. Chapter 11

_hoshiko's note_: Sorry about the wait. My beta had a debate tournament and she couldn't edit this. I wanted to wait to see if she could, but she was going through a lot.  
I really like how this chapter turned out. Originally it wasn't in my plans to even have it in the story, but I had to put it in because... I just did. Haha.  
It's going to get a little more heated in the next few chapters, so... just a warning (or not).

* * *

_Chapter 11_

A sweet silence sank into the warm room as the sun rose to the middle of the sky. A small breeze drifted into the room, bringing with it a hint of summer that only Destiny Islands could bring. The scent of fruit, sea breeze, and sand filled the room. The only ones who were present to receive such a appealing smell were falling asleep. Holding close with slow, intermingled breathes, the two teenaged boys continued to fade out of consciousness. It wouldn't last much longer, though.

"Riku?!" called a voice. It echoed from downstairs and didn't sound at all pleased. "Riku, where are you?! I need to talk to you right now!"

Riku, who had been on the verge of a dream, bitterly regained his composure. Slowly, he could feel his arms and legs waking up, but oh, how he didn't want them to. It was such a peaceful setting to be there in his bed, holding onto Sora tenderly, while the both of them fell asleep. Almost as if nothing was wrong.

But with the twitch of his foot signaling blood returning to it, Riku remembered just how and why he was home when it wasn't even noon. Mentally cursing, the teenager then worked on a plan of how to get downstairs without disturbing his partner.

"Riku! I know you're home! Answer me! Where are you?!" Thank goodness that wasn't his father. Instead it was Riku's mother calling him. The school must have called her office first. Suna could be negotiated with.

It took a long and grueling two minutes for Riku to untangle his legs from Sora's, unwind his arms from the boy's waist, and gently slide off the bed. All without disturbing the sleeping brunette. Mission accomplished, right?

"Riku?"

Nope, failure.

"Crap," Riku whispered. He turned around to smile at Sora. He had just touched his foot to the floor. "Hey there. Sorry I woke you."

Sora rubbed his head and shook his head slowly. "No, it's okay. What's going on?"

"Oh, my mom's home. She wants me to come down." Riku reached over and caressed Sora's face. "It's fine. Just go back to sleep, okay? I'll be back in a bit."

Not one to be told twice to go back to sleep, Sora snuggled deep into the sheets. Forcing back a yawn, the boy smiled with his eyes closing lazily. "Okay…but don't be too long. It's so nice and warm in here. Mm…"

Riku chuckled and pet Sora's head. He heard his mother calling him once again, but ignored her. Leaning over, the older teen kissed his boyfriend's head. There was a happy hum in response, so the boy did it again.

"_Riku_!" Oh boy, that was the final tone.

Riku sighed and heaved himself off his bed. Yes, it really was that much of a chore. Going to the banister, he looked down upon his mother standing in the living room. The woman didn't look entirely too pleased, but then again, she didn't look extremely upset.

Her hands akimbo, Suna ordered her son to see her in the study. A few steps later, the two stood in the brightly lit study. Made up mostly of wood and books, Riku had been in here many times; all of these times were to get scolded. The teen wasn't too thrilled about being back here. He thought those days were long gone, but apparently that wasn't the case.

"I got a phone call from your school today, son," Suna started. It's how every parent begins. Riku fought back a loud sigh and opted to wait for his mother to continue. "Is it true that you were caught fighting?"

"It was self defense," Riku replied, catching his anger from boiling over. At least his mother had asked before she jumped to any conclusions. His father would have hit him by now.

"Who was attacking you that you had to use self defense?" Suna asked, her face growing wrinkled with worry lines.

"It wasn't me they were attacking," Riku started. "It was Sora."

There it was again, that awkward silence. It seemed to be following Riku everywhere and would shove in between discussions.

"You got expelled for protecting Sora?" Suna asked slowly. Riku nodded. The mother had to turn away. She was torn between praising her son for such bravery and loyalty to the one he loved, but she was also upset he fought in the first place, even if it was for self defense. "Riku…what do you think will happen now?"

"I'll no longer be allowed in this house," Riku replied flatly. Suna flinched, but didn't turn around. She too knew this was the case.

"I'll talk to your father…," Suna mumbled.

"What's the use, mom? You know as well as I do that this is going to kill father." Riku let out that exasperated sigh finally.

"But that woman had no right in expelling you!" Suna cried as she turned on her heel. "We could sue her and get you back in the school! The Board of Education can revoke her license!"

Riku shook his head. "I bet the Board will be for the principal. They can say all these lies and I'll have no way to back it up and even if I did, mom, you know that no one is on my side."

"I'm on your side," Suna said sadly.

Riku smiled, happy to hear those words come from his mother's mouth. It was reassuring to know an adult was by his side.

When another awkward silence was about to settle in on the two, the phone pushed it away with its ring. Suna moved to answer it. Riku waited patiently.

"Hello?" Suna's face then lit up. "Oh hello! Yes… Yes he did."

Suna glanced over at Riku who was busy eyeing his shoes. It was probably a neighbor inquiring about the incident at school. Gossip was a lifeline to everyone on the islands. It seemed to travel even faster these days.

"Yes. Yama might do such a thing. …She did?" Suna now looked confused. Riku was watching her out of the corner of his eyes. Who could his mother be talking to? "Really? You don't have to… Oh… Really? Well thank you! Thank you very much! You too! Good-bye!"

Suna smiled brightly as she hung up. Riku lifted his head and looked at his mother questionably.

"You'll have to thank Kairi when you see her next," Suna stated. Riku tilted his head. "She stormed home during after the fight and told her father what happened. He then called the Board of Education who went to see the principal immediately. Apparently it was a big issue that required Sen to go down there personally."

"So what happened?" Riku asked.

"The principal has agreed to lift yours and Sora's punishment and give you only a week of detention for fighting," Suna explained merrily. "I wish there was no punishment at all, but it was the only way to get everyone happy."

"Yeah, everyone but us," Riku mumbled. He still thought it was unfair to be penalized at all, but this was better than expulsion.

Suna sighed with her hand on her chest. "Thank goodness. I'm just glad your father wasn't told."

Riku's mouth opened in surprise. "Wait, he doesn't know?"

Suna shook her head. "He's been in a meeting all day and has had his cell phone off. There was no way anyone could reach him. And as far as I'm concerned, this matter doesn't leave this room."

In that instant, everything felt as if it had shifted back into place. Even though Riku's expulsion had been lifted, he knew he would still get quite the backlash from his father if he had learned of the incident. But now there was nothing to worry about.

Riku suddenly felt extremely childish and stupid. He had put his friends and mother through a lot, Sora the most. Kairi had even gone out of her way to help them out while Wakka, Tidus, and Selphie had gotten in trouble also trying to protect them. And of course, Sora had been the most worried as he came by to calm him down. It was friends like this that really made the boy wonder why he had even chosen the darkness in the first place. Maybe he had been in the dark for too long.

"Riku?"

Said boy turned to see a very sleepy looking Sora standing in the doorway to the study. Suna smiled and moved to go to the boy.

"Hello there Sora. Are you okay?" she asked as she fussed with his hair. Suna always loved to fiddle with his mangy hair.

There came a hesitation to that reply as Sora yawned. "Yeah, sorry. I just woke up."

"Ah. I didn't even know you were over." Suna smiled sweetly at her son who, once again, was busy eyeing his shoes. "Won't you stay for dinner?"

Sora smiled at the mention of food. "Yes! Thank you very much!"

"Then I better get started." Suna then left the room with a quickened pace. Even though the family was extremely wealthy, the mother had demanded she be the only one that cooks in the house. It soothed her and kept her busy.

"Hey," Riku said as he smiled over at his tired boyfriend. "I told you to go back to sleep."

"And I told you not to be long." Sora made his way over to Riku where he proceeded to hug the boy around the waist and bury into his warm chest. "It got too cold…"

Riku snorted as he ruffled Sora's hair. "Please, that's a lame excuse. Just say you were eavesdropping."

"Eh? But I wasn't," Sora replied. He looked up with wide, blue eyes. "What happened? You seem to be in a better mood."

"Kairi's a really good friend," was all Riku said before he kissed Sora long and tender. It was a kiss that said, "thank you for still holding out hope", though the older teen really doubted the younger one would catch that. He probably just thought it was a sweet kiss.

_Wow, so you really got out of being in trouble_, Roxas said.

"What?" Sora whispered as their lips parted.

Riku brushed some of Sora's hair aside as he smiled. "Kairi told her father what happened and he got us off the hook. We have detention for the rest of the week, but that's better than before, right?"

Sora's eyes grew wide and his normal, bright smile graced his face. "We are?! She did?! No way! Oh man! I can't! Wow!"

Riku laughed loudly at how excited Sora became. He was so easily pleased.

"Wait! Does this mean we can still go to the dance?" Sora asked quickly.

_Don't tell me that was the only thing that came to your mind just now? Oh my God, it was… Wow Sora… Wow…_ Roxas may have sounded annoyed, but he was really just as happy as Sora was. No one liked being in trouble.

"Who cares?" Riku asked.

"Um, I do?" Sora jokingly looked hurt. "I wanted to go to the dance with you."

"Well I do too, but if we can't get in, then there's nothing we can do. We should be happy to just be able to go back to that school." Riku stroked Sora's back as he rested his cheek on the shorter boy's head. "Besides, even if we _could_ go, I don't think anyone would like to see us dancing."

"So what? That's never stopped us before." Sora stood back. There was an overly determined smile playing on his face as he clenched his fists by his chest. "We'll find a way! I know we will."

_My God, he's gone back into la la land…_, Roxas mumbled.

Riku shook his head and had to kiss that smile. "Whatever you say… I believe in you."

♥

Friday came and it was soon time to go to the dance. Like Riku had said, no one was too pleased to see the two walking around freely in the hallways again. But just like Sora had said, if there was a way to get to the dance, he would find it. And he had found it in the way of munny.

During his adventures out in the world, the Keyblader had picked up quite a boat load of munny. Not knowing what to do with most of it, Sora decided to bribe the ticket vendors and the dance committee. It had worked like a charm and soon the entire group was allowed into the dance. Thank goodness the teachers only watched near the front of the dance, a part of the room where only ravers and moshers hung out.

"I want pictures!" Fuu cried as she waved her son and his date off. "Many, many, _many_ pictures!"

"Mom, I only have one camera!" Sora shouted back with a laugh.

"But Riku has one and so do Kairi, Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka!" came the mother's response. The two boys hurried their pace. They were laughing from embarrassment, but nothing could bring down their happiness at that moment.

When Sora had answered the door that evening, he was surprised to see Riku dressed so nicely. It was a casual event, so it wasn't as if the boy had splurged and gone in a tuxedo, but he was wearing a very nice red collared shirt. His black pants matched perfectly and somehow made the older boy look even taller.

Sora felt like he wasn't up to par, but it must have been good enough. Riku didn't blush often. The two boys were exactly the opposite color of one another as Sora was wearing a white shirt and normal jeans. It was a bit amusing to the brunette's parents to see them stand next to each other; their differences popping out strongly in the darkness.

But soon they were off to meet up with the rest of their group. Selphie could hardly contain herself and took pictures before they had reached the school. Her camera was almost empty before they had gotten inside. The two girls continued to giggle their way into oblivion as they dragged Tidus and Wakka deep into the dance floor.

"Not so fast you two!" yelled a booming voice. Riku and Sora froze, fearing that they had been caught. Luckily, it was just one of the dance committee girls. "There are some rules I gotta tell you first."

"We know the rules already, though!" Sora whined. He started shifting his weight anxiously. A good song had just popped on and the boy desperately wanted to be dancing with his friends and boyfriend.

"No, to make sure no one _else_ gets pissed around here," the girl said. She crossed her arms. "No one wants to see you two kissing or grinding or getting it on. That's just wrong even for straight couples here."

"Okay, is that all?" Sora asked impatiently.

"For now-"

That was all Sora and Riku needed. They quickly made their escape and maneuvered through the mass of students now comfortably dancing together. Eventually they made it to the finish line; their circle of friends. It seemed as if Wakka and Tidus really didn't know what to do other than shift their weight about and bob their heads.

Kairi and Selphie were laughing loudly as they watched the two boys to their side look at all the other boys nervously. Riku and Sora, however, were the boys that actually knew how to dance. Sort of. It wasn't breaking dancing or raving, but it wasn't the white-boy-shifting-weight dance either.

The songs varied from fast to semi-fast and gradually wound themselves down to a slow song. Sora and Riku really were unsure if it was okay to dance together, so they skipped the first slow song to get something to drink. Kairi had magically vanished during the time, but the two boys hung back with Wakka and Tidus. Selphie would join them every now and then, but she was quite popular and would wander off with her other friends.

"Why aren't you two dancing?" Kairi asked as she rejoined them. Another fast song had started up again.

"Because we're not sure if it's okay to dance together like that," Sora replied. He then smiled slyly. "And just _where_ were _you_?!"

Kairi blushed and edged away from the boys. "Oh look! There goes Kaya! _Kaya_!"

Riku nudged Sora. "You're mine the next slow song."

Sora nodded and blushed. He was thankful for the low lights. He wasn't grateful, though, when the song soon reverted back to a slow song. Before the brunette could move away in hopes to escape an embarrassing situation, Riku slide his arm around the boy's waist effortlessly. He pulled his younger boyfriend to his chest, where he hugged him protectively.

"It's just like hugging, Sora… only we move a bit to the music," Riku whispered. Sora tensed up at first, but soon relaxed when he heard the older boy's heartbeat. "Relax… it's just me."

"Yeah…but…" Sora couldn't finish. He was working hard to even stay conscious. Something about the music, hearing the heartbeat, and having the image of when he first saw Riku on his door replaying in his head made the entire evening perfect.

"But it's me, huh?" Riku asked, some of his egotism slipping back in.

Sora smirked and nuzzled into the boy's chest. They continued to dance close to each other for awhile, ignoring the obvious glares and the distance anyone else put around them. It didn't matter. They weren't dancing for anyone else but themselves.

"Hey now, not too close there!" called out the same girl who had tried to give them the rules before. "I mean it!"

With a blatantly loud sigh, Riku pulled away from Sora. The brunette whined at his heat source leaving him, but did as told. They glared at the girl for a few seconds, but remembered that she was the only reason they were able to get in. It didn't matter, the song changed to a faster beat and the rest of their friends returned.

"Hey, where were you guys during the last song? I thought you would all dance or something," Sora said. He looked at Kairi and Selphie.

"Oh, we found this place outside to chill," Selphie replied. "The door's unlocked so you can get back in."

"Seriously?" Riku asked. He ran his hand through his hair. "That'd be nice if we need air. It's so damn hot in here."

It only got worse as the night dragged on. More slow songs popped up and the two teenaged boys had to be shielded from everyone by Selphie's quick maneuvering tactics. She made sure to have Wakka stand in front of them with another tall girl, but it was hard to hide a silver haired sixteen year old in a dark room. His hair stood out just too much.

Finally, Kairi had gone over to talk to the girl and distract her. This gave Riku his chance. To the older teen, there was just something about public displays of affection that really made him rile up with adrenaline. Taking that opportune moment of having a distraction and being hidden, the boy grabbed Sora and kissed him.

Taken completely off guard, Sora wasn't sure how to react. Should he kiss his boyfriend back or should he push away? He wasn't really sure on the issue of kissing in public. But when he felt Riku's hands caress him, he melted into the touch. The slow music only made everything else fade away as well. The boy didn't know if he was still standing or not.

Somewhere along the line, that kiss got hot and steamy as their hands roamed each other's bodies. They could feel each other rising up their inner thighs, but that only made things much more interesting. How far could they go before something happened and then what would happen next? Thoughts like that only made the situation all the more enjoyable.

"Hey!" cried a familiar voice. "What are you two doing?!"

"Follow me," Riku breathed as he broke the kiss. He grabbed Sora's hand tightly and weaved through the crowd. The girl tried to follow, but got blocked by Selphie.

"Where are we going?" Sora asked breathlessly. He stumbled here and there over student's feet and tried to apologize before being yanked around a corner, but it was hard just to return from the land that kiss sent him to.

A door opened, the music faded, and suddenly the two boys were outside. No one else seemed to have found out this nice little retreat to the back, but for now it was a lovely sanctuary, complete with a dumpster and tall, plastic trash bins walled in by a small red chain linked fence. It didn't matter. The two boys were still in the mood.

Riku slung Sora over so he faced him and put the younger boy between him and the fence. They were right back to their ministrations. This wasn't the first time they had really done this sort of thing, but when they were on their date, the movie theater was dark and they were at the top where no one could see them. It was cheating. Now being caught and chased out with a boner was a feet all in their own that they were unashamedly proud of.

Standing became too difficult and pants too uncomfortable. Using hands and stumbling over trash cans, the two made their way to a relatively clean trash can. That then became their makeshift table or bed or whatever that kept them from falling to the cold ground.

Riku was controlling the situation as he bit, sucked, and licked all over Sora's neck in an effort to bring out moans and gasps from the boy. Hoping to go even further, the older boy straddled his young boyfriend and pushed a little hard into his crotch. Both felt their erections push into one another and neither could stop their pleasurable moans. Riku gripped into Sora's back to pull him closer, wanting that lovely touch to return.

Not one to keep such a wonderful desire from coming true, Sora too pushed back into the other teen's groin. Riku pulled the boy's shirt off where he had free roam of the brunette's chest to which he took full advantage of. His mouth was quite a happy one this evening. He loved eliciting Sora to moan and pant.

_Gawd, this is so wrong_, Roxas mumbled in the far reaches of Sora's mind. Now was not the best time for the blonde's personal opinion.

The quick pushes into one another soon became hard thrusts that started their own rhythm. Sora wanted desperately to return something to the boy giving him such pleasure, but he came up short. He found that his body was starting to act on its own, but even when it would start to move a paralyzing shiver would stop him as he felt Riku's teeth or lips on his skin.

"Riku…," Sora whispered as he grabbed the boy's hair a little bit.

Said boy lifted his head to smile at his boyfriend. Now that was the voice he wanted to hear; not some blonde Nobody. To return the love that surged up into the older teen, he pushed and licked getting a combined sigh and moan. Could he do it again? Maybe harder and faster?

"Pants…," Sora mumbled. At least, that's what Riku thought he said. The younger boy was shuddering and slurring over his words so horribly that he could've said eggplant, but it didn't matter. Those pants were coming off.

In the middle of the problematic task of discarding those pants Sora had found exactly where to touch Riku; his ears. This brought about a pause as the older boy arched his back into the brunette's lick at his ear. It didn't last long as their new pattern set to work. Somehow, the pants had slipped down to both of their knees.

"Oh gawd…," Sora whispered as he lay his head back. "Yes…"

"Yes?" Riku asked as he slipped his fingers over those delectable boxers that were concealing the ultimate prize.

"No."

Riku clenched his eyes shut and counted to three. When he reached ten, since it took that long to calm down, he had hoped that a certain boy hadn't come between them once again.

"Roxas… I swear to whatever God you believe in… I'll kill you if you interfere again," Riku managed to say with a strained voice.

Roxas smirked as he reached his shirt. "Poor you then because Sora won't be around for you to have sex with."

"I love him for more than sex, you know?" Riku asked. He backed up enough to pull his pants back up.

"Well that's good to know." Oh, Roxas had quite a tone to his voice. One that really seemed to turn all romantic and hormonal feelings off.

"He said yes," Riku said.

"Yeah, I know. I was there," Roxas replied. He pulled his pants back up as well and jumped off the trash can. "But look where you two are. I don't think either of you want to remember your first time together in the back of the school yard."

Riku looked around at the place for the first time. He felt a little bad at the disgusting area they were in. Roxas had a point, once again. Damn him.

"Yeah, well… Okay," Riku mumbled, not meeting the Nobody's eyes. He could really hate that boy sometimes.

Just then the doors leading to the dance opened. Kairi popped her head out and smiled. "Well there you two are! That girl is on the other side now. You can come back in."

"All right, thanks Kairi," Riku said with a small smile. He was just grateful his boner was gone. That would be awkward for his redhead girl friend to see.

"Oh man!" That was definitely Sora's voice. Riku turned to talk to him, but the brunette zipped by. "I _love_ this song!"

"Well let's dance!" Kairi exclaimed. She took Sora's hand.

Earlier in the year, or even the month, Riku would've twitched at the touch, but now he didn't care at all. He knew Sora and Kairi were just friends now. The incident a few minutes ago could attest to this.

"Hey there you guys!" Tidus exclaimed a little too happily. He was probably desperate to have the two back. It seemed Wakka had slipped away and now the poor blonde was the only male left in the group.

"Let's get more into the middle! It'll be harder for anyone to see us!" Selphie shouted. She began to tug everyone further inside.

Sora, still grasping Kairi's hand, reached out and grabbed Riku's. The older teen smiled and followed without complaint. Once in the middle, however, he could think of a few curses to his fellow classmates. These people were insane to be calling their gyrations dancing. This was the place where personal bubbles were left at the entrance.

"You two should totally grind!" Selphie said loudly to Sora and Riku.

This stopped them both. Sora scrunched up his nose almost in disgust, but really it was just fear. They had made out and it lead almost to sex. Rubbing into one another's crotches would definitely bring about another round of hormonal problems.

"Come on! It's easy!" Selphie giggled. She pushed the two together. "Try it!"

Both boys had thought it would be grinding into their groins, but Sora's back was to Riku. Now it seemed they were rubbing against each other in an even more sexual position than earlier.

_I'm going to kill this girl_, Roxas grumbled. _If I can stay sane through this night… I will use the Keyblades on her and decapitate her…_


	12. Chapter 12

_hoshiko's note:_ I really am horribly sorry about this late of an update. Midterms mixed with drama mixed with a new job _really_ don't create a nice taste for writing time. Plus, I started working on FFE. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. I know...at the end... I'm evil._  
_

* * *

_Chapter 12_

No, Riku didn't stop. He kept going, hard, into the young boy whose lap he was occupying. The young teen pounded back into the older boy as he felt himself being stripped. Sora felt as his boyfriend started to have sex with him while the dance raged on behind them. At first it was slow and hesitant, but soon the hormones took control. Things became a blur of kisses, moans, sweaty skin against another's, and hard thrusts.

"Sora!" Riku moaned as he came into the boy.

"Riku!" Sora cried as he tensed up into the orgasm.

"Hey, wake up!"

Sora bolted up in his bed. The resounding words of his Nobody echoed in his head. There was no continuation of the dry humping that turned into sex. However, there had been a climax; sadly, only on one part.

_Ew, man…gross_. Roxas shivered in Sora's mind.

"It's called a natural occurrence, especially with teenaged boys," Sora mumbled. He didn't even have to lift his sheets to know that it was, once again, laundry time.

_Yeah, but twice in a row_? Roxas asked. _Isn't that a little bit…too much_?

Sora sighed as he got up out of bed. "Not when you're in love with someone and going through hormones, no."

The teen turned to strip his bed and curled up the blankets so his parents couldn't see. It was early in the morning, but who knows when those adults could wake up. Sora poked his head out of his bedroom doorway, looked both directions five times quickly, before he jetted down the stairs to stuff the sheets, underwear, and pajama bottoms in the washer.

"Sora?"

After two years of having dark creatures and countless enemies come up from behind to attack, Sora had never shaken the scared feeling he gets when such a situation occurs. The Keyblader jumped and screamed loudly. He spun around quickly, his heart racing, and his hands around his middle section just in case there was any leftover cum on his new pajamas.

"Oh! Hey mom!" Sora began laughing loudly to hide his deep embarrassment. "When did _you_ get up?!"

"I've been up for awhile," Fuu replied. She smiled as she glanced at the washer. "Doing early laundry, I see?"

Sora nodded. He began to laugh again. "Well, you always say you want me to take better care of myself, right?! Well, here I go! Always good to start, huh?"

Fuu nodded while laughing. "I'm proud of you. You're leaving for college in two years. It's good to know how to do the laundry while still in high school."

"Aw, c'mon mom. You're exaggerating!" Sora moved to leave the room. He was worried his mother would inquire about what clothes he was actually washing.

"Well, you've left me before," Fuu said quietly. Sora stopped his advancements to look at his mother. "At least this time I'm given fair warning, right?"

"Mom…," Sora started sadly, but Fuu cut him off.

"It's fine sweetie." The mother moved aside to let her son pass. "Go eat breakfast."

Sora headed towards the door, but turned to hug his mother. Needless to say, Fuu was caught quite off guard, but she hugged the boy back. She sighed happily knowing that her son still thought that one was never too old for hugs, especially ones to your mom.

"I'll always come home," Sora said quietly to his mom. He squeezed a little tightly before releasing her.

Before Fuu could say anything more, he ran out of the room. The mother had to sigh once again as she felt the warmth still from the son that had once vanished, but had come home. That would always come home.

♥

"So, what's this urgent meeting you _had_ to call?" Kairi asked. She flopped back onto her bed after getting up to let Sora into her room.

Sora took a seat in the girl's beanbag with a heavy sigh. Kairi knew this was probably bad news. She turned onto her side to look at the brunette.

"That bad, huh?" she asked.

"It's not that… I just have a problem." Sora began to fiddle with his hands.

Kairi moved so her feet were now touching the ground. She leaned forward a little bit. "Is something wrong with you and Riku?"

"Oh, no! We're fine!" Sora laughed as he waved his hands in his face. "Sorry, it's not that. It's something with me."

The redhead bit her lower lip. "Are you…losing feelings for Riku or something?"

_She doesn't sound hopeful at all_, Roxas mumbled.

Sora shook his head violently, hoping to throw his Nobody off so he wouldn't respond. "Totally the opposite, actually. I'm getting to the point where I want to go further, but…"

"But you're scared," Kairi sighed. Sora could see the crestfallen expression the girl worked hard to mask. "Yeah, that happens. It'll be okay."

"Well… I know this must be pretty awkward for you…," Sora mumbled.

Kairi shook her head and smiled. "No, it's fine. What're friends for? Besides, it's always good to go to a female intuition for matters concerning the heart."

Sora rolled his eyes. "Just because you have a Keyblade doesn't mean you know everything there is to do with hearts."

The girl snorted as she crossed her arms. "I'm a girl. We automatically know more emotional things than you guys."

"Spare me." Sora pretended to yawn. Kairi laughed and threw a pillow at her friend. "Okay, seriously. If it's okay with you, I'd like to know what you think I should do."

Kairi thought for a few minutes as she hugged a different pillow. She had grabbed it just in case a pillow fight broke out. "Well… I'd stay away for a little while."

"Really?" Sora asked.

The girl shrugged. "Well I mean it's obvious the reason you're getting all horny and stuff now is because of the dance, right?"

Upon hearing the word "horny" and then thinking of the dance, Sora's face went off like a rocket. He leaned back a bit and then used the pillow to hide his face. Kairi couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh, you're so easy to read, Sora!" the redhead exclaimed.

"Hey shut up! It feels weird, okay?!" Sora glared at his friend over the top of the pillow.

Kairi waved her hand. "Oh, boys… It's fine. Be whatever you want."

Slowly, the brunette lifted his face an inch. "But why should I stay away from Riku if all I wanna do is be near him?"

"That's the point," Kairi said. Sora looked confused causing the girl to sigh, but somehow she knew she'd have to go into more detail. "Okay, you want to be near Riku all the time, right? But when you're near him, all you think about is things that scare and confuse you; things you're not ready for yet. So it's best to take some time to back off and think about these important issues. Figure out what you really want right now before you do anything rash. Riku will understand."

Sora's face had lifted completely by this time. He slowly nodded his head as he came to understand the girl's logic. "And… you think this is the best… solution?"

Kairi shrugged and lay back down on her bed. "It seems good to me. Go ahead and try it. It can't hurt."

"Yeah…" Sora looked down at his feet. He then smiled. He trusted Kairi almost more than anyone, so what she had to say was probably for his own good. "Yeah!"

The boy jumped up and hugged Kairi on the bed. The girl stiffened at first, but slowly relaxed.

"Thank you _so_ much, Kairi! This really means a lot to me!" Sora said happily. He hugged the girl until she hugged back. Then he let go and bounced off the bed. "Sorry for bothering you! I better get home now. I told my mom I'd spend sometime with her this weekend. See you at school tomorrow!"

And just like that, he was out of the room with a few leaps of joy. Given a direction to head in the coming days, Sora felt revived. He was so happy that he didn't notice the lack of a certain Nobody in his head talking to him or that, as he left the room, Kairi was fighting back tears.

♥

For the following week, Sora strayed from his normal path in order to avoid seeing Riku. He left early in the morning to walk to school alone or sometimes just with Kairi and he would book it out of school before anyone could stop him. If anyone stopped him, there was a good chance his boyfriend could waltz into the classroom looking for him. Then all of the brunette's efforts would go to waste.

At night, Sora tried to think things over, but with his now open schedule, the boy started seeing his other friends more than ever. Kairi would hang out like she used to, Tidus and Wakka would have playful fights on the beach like always, and he went to the mall and the popular hangouts like nothing had ever changed.

But that was when the rumors started to spread again.

"Sora, is it true you and Riku broke up?" a girl asked in math class one day.

There was a long pause before Sora's neck twitched over to the girl. The poor girl was startled and scooted away a bit. "What…did you say…?"

"It's just…that I heard that you and Riku broke up," the girl said quietly. She was scared Sora would bit her head off or something.

"Who said this?" Sora asked through clenched teeth. The boy had a strange suspicion it was the baseball team or some other group that hated them. If only he could use the Keyblade now.

"Riku did," the girl replied.

That was when everything snapped. Sora jumped out of his chair, causing the teacher to look over in surprise.

"Sora? Is something wrong?" the teacher asked. "Are you done with your assignment?"

"Oh, um… no, sorry." Sora sat back down quickly and made it look like he was busy.

Technically he was busy, but it wasn't with math. His mind buzzed furiously as to why Riku would say such a thing. Had he put too much distance between them? Sora had screened his calls and thought that even being on the phone with his boyfriend was a bad idea. Maybe he had gone overboard.

"Why…did he say that?" Sora whispered to the girl he sat near.

The girl bit her lip. "Well…he said it's because you two don't talk anymore. I think he said it's probably something he did and you broke up with him, but didn't tell him."

Sora's eyes widened as he learned his suspicions were confirmed. The boy wanted to see his boyfriend and tell him that it was all wrong, that he was stupid for being so far away from Riku with no explanation. Unfortunately, not only was the brunette in class, but it was Thursday and that meant baseball practice well into the night. It was never a good time to talk to the teen right after practice. His adrenaline was running so his reasoning was off balanced. He might jump to conclusions and a fight would break out.

_So, you're finally using your brain again_? Roxas asked. The sudden emergence of the Nobody startled Sora. _I was never really gone. It's a bit hard for me._

Sora rolled his eyes._So why do you decide to pop up now_?

_Because you knew not to rush ahead of things_, Roxas said. _I'm a bit impressed. It's the most you've used your head in almost a week._

Sora looked up as he started taking notes. He worked hard to concentrate and keep a conversation with Roxas. _Well thanks. I guess?_

_Guessing seems to be your fall back these days._

Sora winced. He shifted a bit in his seat. The boy was getting a lecture in his head as he wrote down math notes while pretending to be perfectly normal. _What's the deal? I know I did wrong with Riku… but where did I go wrong_?

_Um, everywhere, but mainly just not telling Riku and then going off with your other friends. Word of that is going to get around, you know. Come on… I thought you were smarter than this._

Sora sighed. Running his hand through his hair, the boy gave up trying to take any notes._I guess… that I'm not._

_Well, make up for it then. Figure something out tonight and talk to Riku tomorrow_, Roxas said. _He deserves that much._

Sora nodded as the bell rang. He quickly packed up and left the school without stopping to talk to anyone. Walking home alone, the boy's mood darkened even more. Roxas worked hard to try and get his somebody to stop putting himself down, but it was no use. The time spent thinking up a plan turned into a pity party. Soon, the blonde couldn't take it anymore.

Once home, instead of letting his body go up to his room to sulk, Roxas moved Sora into the kitchen. Fuu was washing dishes, but stopped upon seeing her son.

"Oh, you're home early," Fuu said. She smiled sweetly. "I thought you'd be out with Riku or your friends." The mother turned back to the dirty dishes. "Speaking of Riku, where is that boy? I haven't seen him all week. Is he busy with school work?"

Sora bit his lip. "Erm…no… Actually…mom… I need to ask you something…"

Fuu turned off the water, dried her hands, and gave her son her full attention. She had been waiting for Sora to say something. Women's intuition at work again. That and Riku had been calling every night, but knew that her boy had given excuses to not talk to him. Oh, high school romance.

"You see… lately, I've been having…um… well…" Sora didn't know how to talk to his mother about this. He desperately wanted to leave, but Roxas held firm.

Fuu motioned for Sora to sit at the table. Together, they moved over to it and sat. She waited patiently as her son stumbled over some kind of explanation, but nothing came. Sighing, she asked, "Have you been having wet dreams, sweetie?"

Sora's face flushed drastically causing Fuu to giggle. "Honey, it's ok, you know."

"Yeah…I-I know… It still…makes me uncomfortable," Sora mumbled. "I mean… I didn't think I would be one of those people that have those kinds of dreams…"

Fuu shrugged. "A lot of kids your age go through this stage. It's fine sweetie." She looked her son directly in the eye. "But don't act upon those dreams."

Sora looked down sadly. "I know… I haven't…"

"Is this why you've been ignoring Riku all week?" Fuu asked gently.

Sora nodded slowly. "I talked to Kairi…and she said I-"

"Wait, stop." Fuu held up her hands. "Did you say you talked to Kairi about this?"

Sora nodded. "Yeah, why?"

_At least your mother figured it out_, Roxas said. He slapped his hand to his face.

_She's your mom too, ya know_, Sora thought.

"Sora, sweetie, you can't go and talk to your ex-girlfriend about your _boyfriend_ problems. That's just horribly rude and really insensitive," Fuu said. She rubbed at the bridge of her nose. "The poor girl is probably heart broken."

"Oh…," Sora muttered. He clenched his fists angrily. "Some friend I am…"

Fuu scooter closer. "No, you're just naive. I'm sure she forgives you. We all know how you get."

Sora lifted his head, looking confused. "How I get? What do you mean?"

Fuu shrugged as she suppressed a smile. "You sometimes just forget important things. But we love you, so we forgive you. Just like Riku will once you explain things to him. Tell him that you've been having awkward dreams and you just needed some space. If he understands, then he'll let you back off."

Sora's depressed state washed back over him. "Yeah, but he thinks we've broken up…"

"As any normal person would if their boyfriend had been gone for an entire week and ignored them." Fuu looked at her son seriously. "Honey, just because I'm old doesn't mean that I don't know the ways of a teenager's heart."

Sora felt a little pain in his chest at that statement. It made him think back to his adventures. Suddenly the boy was missing his old friends. If he had been with them, would they have helped like his mother? Probably Donald and Goofy, but who knows what they'd have said.

"I'm sorry…," Sora whispered. He clenched his eyes closed.

Fuu leaned forward. "Why? What's wrong, sweetie?"

"I should've come to you first… I feel so stupid…"

Hugging her son, Fuu comforted Sora sweetly. "It's okay. I told you, it'll be all right."

"I miss my friends…," the boy quietly said.

"What friends?" Fuu asked.

"Two really good friends…," Sora replied.

Fuu smiled. "Then call them if you miss them that much. Talk to them about all this. I'm just your mom. I can't connect with you on the same level they could."

Sora smiled slightly and hugged his mom again. He then decided to talk about just normal things that he had been doing all week. It was nice to sit back and relax with his mother again. He realized that it was a poor choice to go to Kairi first after all. No one could soothe and give such good advice like his mom.

Before the brunette got in contact with Donald and Goofy, he decided to call Kairi and apologize. The girl would hear nothing of it and instead joked.

"Just go to him, confess your feelings, and have mad sex with him!" she laughed. Sora's face glowed red, but over the phone he just joined in the laughter.

"Wow Kairi! That's a little nasty there!" he joked.

"Naw, it's cute. Go for it." Kairi said strongly. Sora imagined his redheaded punching her fist in the air on the other side of the phone. She was so cute at times.

"Kairi…thanks for always being there for me. It…really means a lot to me," Sora said stupidly. He felt like it was such a corny line, but felt it was necessary.

Kairi was silent for a moment, but giggled again. "You're so sweet Sora. Riku's lucky."

Sora looked down at his feet. He felt awkward and guilty again. "Kairi…"

"Oh, I better go. It's almost dinner time. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Oh… yeah. Okay. See ya." The two then hung up.

_So…how do you get in contacts with the other two_? Roxas asked. _Can you just call them up or something?_

Sora smiled. "No, there's another way." He made sure to lock his door as he prepared to call on his two friends.

♥

_Last night was…interesting… Those guys weren't at all surprised. And they seemed so happy to help you out. _Roxas had been talking about last night's conversation between Sora, Donald and Goofy since it had ended. He was still in shock at their reaction.

"Well… I think that they kind of knew…," Sora chuckled nervously. "I talked about Riku a lot on my adventures."

Roxas rolled his eyes._Well in any case, what do you think the King wanted you to give Riku?_

Sora looked down at the scroll in his hand. It had King Mickey's seal on the front that always seemed to scare the brunette. It usually meant they would have to go back to work with the darkness. The boy wished that wasn't the case. It was specifically for Riku. Maybe it was just a letter the king wrote to his friend to see how he was doing.

"Who knows…? But I'm giving it to Riku when I see him at school today," Sora said. He smiled determinedly. The words of encouragement from his two friends had boosted his confidence tenfold.

"_Even if your friends back home don't like you, just remember all the friends you've made elsewhere!" Goofy said happily. "We'll always be there for you as you've been for us."_

"_Yeah! Don't worry about those kids back home! Just do what you want!" Donald exclaimed. "Isn't that what we've done all along?"_

"I can't wait to talk to Riku. I'm sure it'll really cheer him up!" Sora was smiling a lot brighter than he had in a few days. He didn't realize it until he started talking about Riku to Donald and Goofy how much he really missed him.

It wasn't until the two friends had explained that it's not the best idea to lose the boy after Sora had searched for him for so long that it all hit the brunette in one fell swoop. He had made a horrible mistake and it was up to him to fix it. Anything could happen, though. Riku may not be as forgiving as the teen would like to think so. But who knew?

♥

Lunch time came up empty as Riku was pulled to do some project work with fellow classmates. Sora didn't even get a chance to ask if he could see his boyfriend after school. It seemed the upperclassmen were very protective of their friend.

Kairi told Sora that Riku would most likely be in the art room after school as he was helping some seniors with an upcoming festival. The boy's best bet was to grab his boyfriend just before he got pulled into the room. Who knows when the older teen would return after that?

Sadly, Sora had been stopped by a teacher for running, got a quick lecture in proper etiquette in school, and missed his chance to snag Riku. The boy called home quickly to say he'd be late for dinner. Once he got the okay, the brunette dropped his bag and took a spot on the floor. He could wait.

But the scroll had been on his mind all day, almost as much as what he would say. His heart began pounding. That temptation was so close that he could see it through his backpack. Trying to get his mind off the situation, the boy struck up a game with his Nobody.

_Hey, I think someone's coming_, Roxas said.

Sure enough, the art room's door opened. Out stepped a tall boy with long silver hair to his shoulders. Sora jumped up, almost banging into his boyfriend, and clutched his chest tightly. It was so good to see those aqua eyes and that hair and his tough body again knowing that it was all his. How could he have been so stupid to have almost lost all that?

"Riku!" Sora blurted out. In a flash, he had forgotten all the words of encouragement, the script that was engrained into his brain, and the calm words his mother spoke of. Only the pain of his boyfriend's eyes caught him.

"Sora? What're you doing here?" Riku asked. He looked a little bit paler than normal. No one but a lifelong friend would've noticed this right away.

"I came to see you," Sora whispered. Suddenly, the boy found he couldn't look Riku in the face.

"Really? Why?" Riku closed the door behind him. He crossed his arms as he waited for the younger teen to respond.

"Er…uh… I um…" Sora fumbled for something, anything, to say, but he couldn't do it. He was only thinking of all those wet dreams he had been having.

_Coherent words, Sora_, Roxas muttered.

"Right…right…," Sora mumbled to himself. He looked back up to Riku and instantly imagined himself all over the boy.

Roxas invaded the scene and kicked that shot right out. He glared at his Somebody with pure conviction. _Get your head in the game, Sora! Isn't this what you've been waiting for?!_

"Riku, I'm sorry!" Sora exclaimed. "I know I've been gone for so long and everything and just ignored you, but please don't think that I broke up with you! Far from it, actually! I've been having wet dreams about you and damnit how much I want you right now! So I just came to tell you that!"

There was a silence made awkward by the fact that the students in the art room had grown quiet. Sora sucked in some air and made to turn away. The horrified and almost confused look on Riku's face had shattered the confidence that was in the boy's heart.

_No no! You're doing fine! Just wait a bit!_ Roxas exclaimed.

The brunette stopped and waited as he was instructed. He couldn't look at Riku anymore, so he turned his attention to the floor. Waiting for the older teen to reply seemed like it was longer than it really was. But before anyone could say a word, the boy had grabbed Sora's wrist.

Riku turned on his heel and quickly made his way down the hallway. Sora stumbled to keep up all the while wondering just where he was being dragged to. A few times he had started to talk, but the older boy had tugged a little harder than normal that quieted the brunette.

_Come on! What's going on?_ Roxas asked.

_I don't know, Roxas… I'm just as lost…_, Sora thought sadly. He bit his lip. "Riku, where are we going? Please tell me."

Riku stopped, spun Sora around so he was pressed against the wall, and kissed him like he had never done so before. All coherent thought stopped with their contact. It had been so long and it felt so wonderful that both boys just dissolved into one another's touch.

Breaking the kiss and keeping his voice low, Riku whispered, "Sora… Now that you've said that… I'm probably not going to be able to stop…"


	13. Chapter 13

_hoshiko's note_: Sorry for the long delay in chapters. Friends can be a curse and a treasure, let me tell you. I had a totally different scenario in mind for this chapter, but changed it at the last minute.  
I want cake... Haha. Kudos to those who know what that means.  
Happy Halloween:)

* * *

_Chapter 13_

The movements were harsh, fast, and almost animalistic. Hardly waiting for the door to open, Riku had barged into the conveniently empty room. Sora gasped as he was slammed into the wall, surprised it aroused him so. Part of it was due to the fact that his boyfriend's hands were hungrily eating his body up, tearing aside his shirt, and keeping him steady as he devoured the younger boy's mouth.

"Riku…," Sora moaned, but he was quickly silenced. The brunette wasn't sure what to focus on more: the hands, the tongue, or the erection pressing up against his own.

No dream could match the emotions and the rush that slammed into Sora's chest. He flustered about, trying to keep up with Riku, but it was evident that he would be subjected to most of the pleasure. It probably wasn't the brightest idea to tell his boyfriend, who he knew was horny, that he had been having visions of them getting to this point.

Before Sora knew what was happening, he had been laid back across a table and his chest sucked upon. The boy squirmed and squeaked as he felt his boyfriend's tongue and hot breathe against his skin. Arching his back up just a bit gave the older boy the okay to explore even more. Teeth met with nipples which elicited the best noise Riku had ever heard.

_No! Stop it! This isn't what you want, and you know it!_ Roxas shouted. His voice was faded, but it was there. That tiny voice was just enough, however, to make the situation uncomfortable.

"Nngh… Stop it…," Sora whispered, but it wasn't to Riku. He was directing it at his Nobody since his mind had shut off. Coherent thoughts were unavailable.

Not bothered by the words Sora had uttered, Riku moved his hands down along the boy's sides until they looped around his pants. There was a slight gasp, but that didn't stop anything. Those pants were being unzipped and slowly pulled down. The brunette felt as his legs were bended and his underwear pulled off.

_God damnit, this is stupid! You're going to regret this later, Sora! _Roxas exclaimed. His voice was becoming just a tad louder in the boy's ear. _You don't want your first time to be at school, in an empty classroom, on a desk. Anyone could walk in on you! You have no lubrication and your ass will hurt later as well as your back! This isn't a good idea!_

Sora's eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he felt the wonderfully cool hands slide slowly down his inner thighs and lightly touch his hot erection. The boy jumped a bit as he felt Riku's hands begin to close over himself. Moaning slightly, he felt his legs automatically spread apart as he arched his back. Maybe Roxas was wrong and just didn't want his pride or ego to be hurt. It sure felt as if Sora wanted Riku as he begged the boy to take him now.

Riku chuckled as he slowly ran his hand along his boyfriend's penis. "I love hearing you like that…"

_Pervert…_, Roxas muttered.

Sora squinted through his eyelids. He panted slightly while looking at Riku. "You're…still…clothed…"

Riku smirked, sitting back slightly. He released Sora's cock causing the younger boy to whine slightly. No, he didn't sound that desperate.

"If that makes you unhappy, then do something about it," Riku said, his tone of obvious playfulness. He was enjoying this to no end.

Sora did as he was told and quickly denied his older boyfriend the privacy of clothes. He splayed his hands across Riku's bare chest, smiling to himself that they were now on the same level.

_I think I may just have to kill you now_, Roxas interjected. Man, Nobodies could be such a hassle sometimes, Sora thought to himself. _I heard that._

The two boys felt one another and kissed in areas never touched by another human being before; arousing one another quickly before either grasped the concept of reasoning. They were about to have sex of the homosexual kind in an empty classroom with an unlocked door where anyone could overhear them and walk in at any given moment. With half the school against their desires to be together, if they were found out having intercourse the consequences wouldn't look good.

But someone must have loved them or maybe they just loved Sora. Either way, no one interrupted their moment and they continued on their jolly way.

_If he goes any longer, I'll have to take action…_, Roxas muttered, but it was lost to the light that over flowed in Sora's mind. Riku had just taken him into his mouth.

The boy tensed fully, his nails scratching the wooden desk he lay on. Curling his toes and moaning, he gasped deeply as he felt his cock being lavished in saliva belonging to his beloved. One would think that was disgusting, but then again, that one wasn't being given a blow job by a gorgeous silver haired childhood friend one had loved for years. No, it wasn't disgusting to Sora at all. Rather, it was exquisite.

Teeth and tongue combined with the ministrations as Riku sucked and took Sora deeper into his mouth. The younger boy was practically going insane with emotions, though it was odd to be going through anything other than pure pleasure. The fact of the matter was, Roxas was right, as usual. He wasn't ready.

None of this was right. While his hormones were lapping up every suck and lick that Riku employed, his heart, the thing he listened to the most, had come into play. What could he say? The boy was a romantic at heart. Sora wanted things to be perfect, for the two of them to be at someone's home with a bed and maybe a window open for ventilation. He wanted things to go smoothly, for them to whisper nonsensical mushy things into their ears and to spill their inner most feelings. Right now, it felt as if he was being a dirty little slut playing on his emotions.

_I'm so proud of you. You're growing up_, Roxas said with sarcasm.

_At least…let him finish. I have been denying him a lot lately_, Sora said to his Nobody.

Roxas rolled his eyes._If we let him go any further, not only will it get worse, but you may over power me and I won't be able to stop him._

Sora bit his lip. He fought the urge to arch his back and thrust into Riku's mouth, so he opted to moan loudly instead. He knew that would please his boyfriend.

_Let me try with him_, Sora said. Roxas shook his head, but said nothing.

"Riku…," Sora whispered. He weaved his fingers into the soft silver hair. He was hoping his boyfriend would look up, but no such luck. Instead, the older teen sucked harder temporarily disabling the brunette. "Riku…wait… I… I don't…want this…"

For a moment, Sora wasn't sure if Riku had heard him, but felt his cock hitting cool air and the teeth and tongue disappearing. He looked down to see extremely cold aqua eyes. The boy winced knowing that this would not end well.

"You were _begging_ me a minute ago to take you now and to not stop," Riku growled. "Now you change your mind?"

"Look, just because… I said that I was having…wet dreams about you… didn't mean I wanted us to have sex," Sora panted. He tried to sit up, but found Riku was holding his wrists down. "I told you…so you'd understand why I've been…avoiding you. I need…some space and time… ya know, to think?"

Riku sighed exasperatedly. It sounded as if he had given up. "I can't believe you… You're such a dick, you know that?"

_Oh, like _he's_ one to talk_, Roxas said bitterly.

"I'm sorry," Sora mumbled. He tried once again to move, but Riku still hadn't let him go. "I do want to be with you, but this doesn't feel right."

"What, you want to be in a locked room with a bed or something?" Riku asked. It was evident his anger was starting to show through.

Sora really couldn't blame him. The boy _had_ led Riku on, telling him how much he was getting hard off just the thought of them together and then by not stopping before he had been given not just a hand job, but a blowjob as well. The older teen had opened himself up allowing a side of him to come out that no one else had seen and before he knew it, he was denied it all. The brunette felt like a complete failure as a boyfriend.

"I'm…really sorry, Riku…," Sora mumbled. He ducked his head, not wanting to meet that harsh glare. Seeing it again brought back some terrible memories. "It's not like I don't want to… I just…don't feel right, that's all."

"You're being a hypocrite," Riku snapped. He tightened his hold. "You _want_ me and you keep having erotic dreams of me, yet when I finally give you what you want, you brush me off just like that?"

Sora winced, making it look like a nod. Riku growled. Inside his chest, something dark beat again.

"Thanks a _lot_," Riku muttered.

"Riku!" Sora exclaimed sadly as he snapped his head to the boy. Such a tone of pure disgust being uttered from his boyfriend's mouth was not something he wanted to hear. Anger, yes, but not hatred. "I said I'm sorry! It's not you, it's all me, okay? Please, don't hate me."

Riku shook his head. "I don't hate you, I'm just so sick and tired of all this…"

Sora wavered for a minute, dipping his head down, but then looked Riku square in the eyes. They were cold and unfeeling now. They were Roxas' eyes.

"Is that all you want my body for?" Roxas asked harshly. "Do you just want to have sex with Sora and then be done with him?"

"Of course not…," Riku said angrily. That darkness was growing quickly just at seeing the Nobody. "Why would I do that to him?"

"Because you're a horny bastard?" Roxas asked. He closed his legs enough to make Riku move away, releasing his hands finally. "You may not want to do that when you're sane and dressed, but when you get lost in the moment, anything can happen. Why, you could rape your own boyfriend."

Instantly, the darkness burst open as fear spilled into Riku's heart. Had he almost done just that? He was more than ready to jump Sora's bones, even after the boy had protested. Wasn't that why he hadn't let go? Wasn't that why he was getting so frustrated?

Roxas sighed sadly as he sat up. He reached down to pull up his pants. "Look Riku, we both know you don't mean any of this intentionally. It just happens. You're a teenaged guy and you've been holding a _lot_ of this sexual tension up for a long time. Believe me, I know. Sora's the same way. But what you need to remember is that he's not going anywhere, so neither is his ass or dick, okay?"

"I don't care about that," Riku muttered. He stepped back and quickly dressed himself. He made sure not to look at Sora's body. Now, he was the one who felt like a dirty slut. "I care about that smile and those eyes and that wonderful ability he has to make just _everything_ right with his skewed logic. I don't want to lose that by becoming some_thing_ I'm not again."

Roxas smirked. "I don't think you going all psycho on us again will make Sora leave you. You've lost control of your emotions more than once, Riku, and he stayed by your side. If he really wanted to leave, he's had more than ten years to do so."

That wasn't Roxas. The tone was different. Riku ventured a look over to see that it was, in fact, Sora that was now smiling so sincerely at him. That eternally deep forgiveness had returned their hand to the older teen. The younger boy was always the one to put it out there first and accept whatever mistake the other made, as if nothing had happened.

"Why…?" Riku asked. "I almost…"

Sora laughed. "And I almost let you. If I had, it wouldn't have been rape." The boy poked himself in the head while chuckling. "Roxas says he kept us his end of the deal and stopped you from doing anything."

"Deal?" Riku tried to remember what exactly the Nobody was talking about.

"About protecting me from anyone that tried to harm me…," Sora whispered sweetly. He hugged the older teen tightly with such affection that it would've made another, weaker person cry. Riku wasn't that kind of person. "That was sweet of you to ask my other self to do…"

"I just don't…want you to get hurt," Riku said as he wrapped his arms around Sora. It was so safe to be there with him that he almost _did_ feel like crying. "Especially not by me… not again…"

"Ah… don't worry about it." Sora released Riku and smiled widely. "If you hurt me, I'll just punch you and we'll get on with it. That'll put us at even, won't it?"

"You didn't punch me when I fell into darkness," Riku said.

Sora looked up as if he was thinking, his smile quickly forgotten. It soon returned as well as a playful punch to Riku's shoulder.

"That was a freebie," Sora laughed. "And besides, no one's perfect. Not even you, Riku. I know how much you hide everything, even some of your feelings towards me. I know it's hard for you to not grab my hand at school or hug me when we're together because you're worried for my feelings and what people will say. I know that you're still upset about what happened last year."

_Damn__ he's good_, Riku thought to himself. Maybe he wasn't as dumb as he came off to be. _Then again…_

"But," Sora continued. "It's okay. You've always been this way, even when we were kids. You want to be the strong one, and I'm completely okay with that. But, you're starting to show me your true self."

Riku looked a bit alarmed. "I…am?"

Sora nodded with a laugh. "Yeah, like just now." He wiped underneath Riku's right eye. "Your eyes are watering, and you almost cried."

Riku hastily backed away and blinked back any signs of water in his eyes. This caused Sora to laugh even harder. He stopped the boy.

"It's okay, you know. No one else is here, it's just me," Sora said sweetly. "I've seen more than enough of you today for you to open up to me more. You don't have to do it with anyone else. I'll show you a side of me no one knows, and you do the same. It's what people do in a relationship."

"But…," Riku started. He trailed off, not wanting to finish what he started. It might hurt Sora's feelings.

"But you don't want to because you're afraid?" Sora asked.

Bull's eye.

"It's not that I don't trust you, Sora, it's just that…it's happened before with us…and you…betrayed me," Riku mumbled.

This was completely new news to Sora. He leaned back, his eyes wide and his mouth agape. Quickly searching through his memories and trusting Namine for them to all be there, he looked for this so-called "betrayal" that Riku had just accused him of. Nothing came to mind.

"What're you talking about? When?" Sora asked.

"Do you remember when Kairi came to the island?" Riku asked. He sat down in a chair at another desk facing Sora. His eyes were downcast.

"Yeah…," Sora replied slowly. Where was he going with this? Nothing bad happened back then between the two. He didn't even remember a single fight that had happened that year.

"That same day you and I had discovered our secret spot… We agreed it was _ours_. But one day, I come in and see you and Kairi had drawn each other on the wall in _our_ secret spot. The spot where you and I had made up stories and spilled our secrets and hung out together in. The one where we promised it would only be _ours_. Remember?" Riku looked at Sora seriously.

"_Sora! What's in there?" Kairi asked. She was so young then, her hair so short and her dresses always so cute. The innocence radiated from her far more than Sora's did. Back then, he was more interested in being tough than the redhead who pulled her friends into tea parties._

_The young Sora held his arms out as if protecting the entrance to his secret spot. He puffed his cheeks out and sucked in air to expand his chest in hopes that made him look intimidating. Kairi didn't back down._

"_Sorry Kairi, but no one's allowed back here!" the youngest exclaimed. He wasn't more than six or seven years old. "This is Riku's and my secret spot, you hear? No one else is allowed!"_

"_That's not fair," Kairi whined. Her cheeks inflamed with air as well making Sora back down just slightly. "Just because I show up here, I can't join you two in your spot? I feel so left out!"_

_Sora's arms dropped immediately. He didn't want the new, cute girl to feel excluded. "Aw, I'm sorry Kairi. I didn't mean it. I'm sure if you come in and look around and leave quickly, Riku won't mind. But this is the only time. I'm only letting you back here because you're special."_

"_Yay!" Kairi exclaimed as he threw her hands in the air, her anger obviously one. Darn those crocodile tears. "Thank you__ Sora! You're the best!"_

Shoot, Riku was right and Sora knew it.

_Nice going there, buddy_, Roxas chuckled. He was shaking his head again. Was that all he ever did?

"Aw man…I'm so sorry, Riku… I didn't…," Sora began, but he didn't know what else to say. What _could_ he say?

Riku was right, again; no surprise there. The two had promised that it would be only for them. No one else was to know and even if they did, they couldn't enter. An agreement like that between two best friends was never meant to be broken. Young Sora, though, hadn't taken it seriously and decided to let a girl invade Riku's cherished area all because the young boy wanted to impress her.

"You didn't know that would piss me off so much?" Riku asked. "Well, it did. So much in fact that that was why I constantly competed with you."

Sora looked up in confusion. "Huh?"

"I wanted to make it seem like I liked Kairi, too, and that, I was fighting you for her. I wanted to piss you off and betray you, too…" Riku's eyes glazed over with coldness. "Ever since I saw that picture, I vowed in my heart to somehow hurt you so deeply that you two would be just as injured as I was. So, I opened that door and let the darkness in."

"You…planned all that…the destruction of the island and the kidnapping of Kairi… ever since we were kids?" Sora asked in disbelief.

"Not all of it and not to that extent," Riku replied. "Truth be told, some of it I made up as I went along. When I found myself in Hollow Bastion, er, Radiant Garden, I didn't know what to do. All I knew was that you weren't there, and it scared me. I had seen you unable to reach me, but it seemed you were far more concerned for Kairi's safety than mine."

"That's not true," Sora said, quickly grabbing Riku's hand. "I didn't know what was going on, and I wanted the three of us to be together. If she was there with us, then I'd feel safe. I would've asked where you were if I found Kairi first, you know. Riku, you have _no idea_ how _terrified_ I was to see you covered in that darkness."

He clutched his boyfriend's hand, pulling it to his face where he nuzzled it. His chest seized up with fear as it replayed in his head. Not wanting to seem like a complete loser, Sora made sure he didn't cry.

"I felt it was my fault. That if I had reached out just a little bit further, I might be able to grab you and save you… But you were gone, and instead, I was left with that Keyblade. If I could go back to then, I would've pulled you out and none of this would have ever happened. You wouldn't have been hit with darkness, we wouldn't have been against one another, and you wouldn't be carrying this horrible guilt around with you."

There was a slight pause. Riku reached up and pat Sora on the head. He made the boy look at him. A small, sweet smile spread across the older boy's lips. "If that's the case…then it was worth it."

"What?" Sora asked. "You mean…you _wanted_ that?"

"Not at all," Riku said, moving his hand so that it caressed Sora's face. "I could do without the memories, but if all that led to us sitting here right now, letting so much out to one another and allowing me to love you even more than I thought possible, then so be it. I'll jump right back in to that darkness if that means I can have you for just a little bit longer. It was all worth it."

"I don't…understand," Sora said; his face was blank. Leave it to Sora, our wonderful Keyblade Master.

Riku chuckled. He kissed Sora' nose quickly. "What I mean is that, all of that landed us here. Without it, we probably never would have gotten together."

_He has a point_, Roxas said. _No one knows what could have happened if you hadn't grabbed his hand. I wouldn't have been born, the Organization might not have survived as long as it did, you might not have met the friends you met on your journey, and you and Riku might never have been as close._

The boy's eyes widened at the realization of this. Everything that had happened so far teetered on the edge of that mistake.

"So, maybe…," Riku whispered as he leaned in for a kiss. "What I did…and what you did…and what we did together… was the right thing to do…"

Sora smiled as he closed his eyes. "Does this mean…you're over what you did…?"

"If that means I got you because of my stupidity… then yes…"


	14. Chapter 14

_hoshiko's note_: Sorry about that... I know I said Monday... but my beta has been very busy and I wanted to wait for her. Sadly, that's not the case for if I were to wait any longer, it wouldn't be up until next week. This isn't the last chapter, but it's close. I know that this is corniness to the extreme, but what could I do? It's important and stuff. Hope you all enjoy. Love the reviews. They make my day._  
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_Chapter 14_

_Roxas?_ Sora called out. Somewhere in that vast darkness of his heart lived a Nobody. While the name implied he was a meaningless person, he couldn't be more important. Quite the contrary. Roxas had to be one of the most important people n his life. Oddly enough, they were the same person.

Sora found himself to be relying on Roxas more and more with each passing day. The two had grown closer as they began to accept one another. The way things worked was Sora usually became confused with a situation or was too naive to understand what really was going on, Roxas would retort with some witty comment that upset his Somebody and finally offer advice to which the other was _finally_ taking into consideration and following.

Little did Sora know, but not all of it was him relying on Roxas. The blonde, actually, was the one leaning completely on his Other. The things that happened in his everyday were on the complete opposite end of the spectrum from when he lived with the Organization. In all of this mess that went on with Sora and Riku, the Nobody found himself to be missing his best friend. The brunette was his only escape from that pain he felt, hoping it didn't spread to his emotions as well. Slowly, over time, though, he found that helping Sora was what gave his nonexistence some meaning. He enjoyed it thoroughly.

_Roxas_? Sora called out again. _Where are you?_

_Always with you_, Roxas replied as he stepped forward.

They were both upside down to one another. Roxas was in darkness while Sora stood in light. Both had to look down to see each other.

_I need to talk to you about Riku_, Sora said.

Roxas sighed and smiled. _I knew this would be coming. All right, Sora. What do you want?_

_I want you to accept him_, Sora said sternly. _He's gone through a lot and I'm impressed at how much he's been able to move past._

_You mean the other day when he let go of his guilt from two years ago?_ Roxas asked. Sora nodded. The Nobody chuckled. _I'm pretty impressed too, actually. I thought he'd never let go of that. When we fought, he was so against turning to the darkness for help and even after he had transformed into Xehanort's Heartless, his eyes still looked filled with grief._

_Then why won't you accept him?_ Sora asked. _Is it because he helped bring down the Organization? If that's true, then you should hate me because I was the one that completely destroyed it. But remember, he returned you to me. Isn't that what you wanted?_

_Yeah, I did_, Roxas replied. He stuck his hands in his pockets. _I know what he did really helped and he was just looking out for us both, even if he chose you over me. I just don't like him._

_Why?_ Sora asked sadly. _Everyone else did. Even Axel did._

Roxas' eyes snapped to Sora's own, looking for the truth in that statement. _Excuse me…?_

_Axel and Riku helped each other to help you_, Sora explained. _They worked with Namine and agreed to settle their differences if it meant helping you. Axel must've felt really guilty for not talking to you about me before and did everything he could to reunite us. If you were really gone, then the last he could do was fulfill your dream. At least, that's what I think he felt._

_How…do you know this?_ Roxas asked. He was a bit protective of his best friend. Axel was, after all, his only _real_ friend.

_You and I weren't back together before this, but I was there when Axel faded away_, Sora said. Roxas' eyes grew, but he said nothing. He wanted the boy to continue. _He said he wanted to see you and that you were the only one he liked. It seemed like, to me, he wanted to make amends for what he didn't do for you when you two were working together. Riku told me some of what he had said and how much he wanted to help. I told you all this before, don't you remember? Why else would he agree to put everything on the line just to help you? Did you know he got his ass kicked by some of the members just to protect you?_

_That's his fault_, Roxas said coldly. Sora knew better, though. The Nobody just didn't want to hear that Axel, or anyone for that matter, had put themselves in danger to protect him. The boy didn't feel he was worth it. That was one thing the two shared in common.

_Still…_, Sora said sadly. He felt as if he was getting nowhere. How could he ever get closer to Riku in any way if his body was so reluctant? It wasn't just a physical concern anymore. The boy didn't have to get lucky in bed with his boyfriend, but he'd like to know that his body accepted and trusted the older boy. It would make the entire relationship that much more comfortable.

Roxas narrowed his eyes. _You think I'm making things tense?_

Sora bit his lip. Roxas knew everything he thought or felt so it was impossible to not have a random thought strand float past his conscience. _It's just that… I feel awkward and uncomfortable knowing I don't trust and love Riku completely. I think he knows it too and feels a bit put off by it. I guess that's why he wants to sleep with me so badly…to make that uneasiness go away._

Roxas snorted. _No, he just wants to fuck you._

Sora glared at his Nobody. _Riku's not like that and even if he was, that's not the only reason he's with me._

Roxas waved his hand and looked away. He didn't care what Sora had to say. _Yeah, yeah. You're the light in his darkness and you saved him and blah blah… I was there, remember?_

_So then you understand how he feels for me is sincere_? Sora asked impatiently. He was starting to grow tired of this game Roxas was playing with him.

Roxas crossed his arms._Prove me wrong._

Sora woke up with a sigh. He was groggy and unhappy to be woken up. It was all thanks to his cell phone. He now kept it under his pillow on vibrate, just in case Riku needed him. There had been quite a few times where the older teen had woken up to nightmares that he dare not repeat, but only to his boyfriend. It was his job to calm the boy down, letting him know the reassurance that the darkness was no longer present in his heart to the point of dominating him. Even though the boy was now guilty free and had started calling less with fear in his voice, Sora kept it there just in case. Who knew what could happen during the night?

Reaching under his pillow to stop the incessant vibrations, Sora looked at the number. It was a text message from Riku. His heart leapt in his throat as he feared the worst. Upon flipping it open, all panic was put to rest as his heart slipped back down into his chest. Such a simple message brought all the joy in the world to him.

_Happy birthday, Sora!_

It was the day of his sweet sixteen. The party had been planned weeks in advance. Everyone in town was practically invited and almost all had replied back. The event would take place later tonight. The only thing not arranged was what the two boys would do together during the day. The party had been set for so late in the day for Sora to spend it with Riku and everyone knew it. But his boyfriend had never said just what they would be doing exactly.

As Sora pulled his shirt over his head, his cell phone vibrated again. Stumbling over his shoes, the brunette snatched up the phone quickly. It was Riku again which brought another bright smile to his face.

_Meet me at the dock in ten minutes, okay?_

Sora texted back with is positive response. He then hastily pulled on some pants, socks, and tied his shoes. A quick glance in the mirror, but it wasn't needed. Nothing could salvage that hair. Instead, the boy thundered down the stairs, jumping the last two steps, and ran into the kitchen.

"Happy birthday, Sora!" his parents exclaimed in unison as he entered the room. They both gave their son hugs and kisses as well as presenting him with his favorite breakfast item.

"You look all ready to go," Fuu commented as she tried to fix up Sora's hair. "You and Riku already going out?"

Sora nodded as he stuffed more pancakes into his mouth. He wanted to get to the docks early, so he threatened his very life by almost chocking himself. Yeah, he was a smart one. "Riku wants me to meet him at the docks. I think we're going to the islands together."

"Well that's original," Kaze said with a short roll of the eyes.

"I think it is," Sora said as he gulped down some orange juice. He then started in on his toast. "It's November. None of us go out there. It's not exactly the warmest place to be when so close to winter."

Fuu nodded. "You be careful out there, all right. And be sure to be back in time for your party."

Sora nodded and jumped out of his seat. "Thanks for breakfast! 'Bye!"

And with that, he was gone. Instead of being sad to see their son disappear, the parents sighed in relief. Now _they_ could relax before the house was filled with numerous teenagers all of which were hungry.

Sora, however, could not relax as he tore down the beach. His spirits were at an all time high now. He couldn't even begin to wonder just what his boyfriend had in store him. Riku had that lovely knack of surprising people; and he did it with such ease that it really irked the younger boy. Just how was it so easy for him and yet done so well? Today was probably his favorite day to play some sort of surprising trick on him.

Upon reaching the docks, Sora's suspicions were confirmed. On the ground was a small, wrapped box with a blue bow on it. When he reached down to pick it up, the boy saw there was a note attached. Always one to jump ahead of the gun, the teen tore into the present with excitement building. Instead, he found yellow blow up waders to put on a child's arms.

"What the…?" Sora picked up the plastic inflatables with a raised eyebrow. "You bought me _this_ Riku…?"

Remembering the note attached, Sora pulled it up to him to read what it said.

_Dear Sora,_

_I'm sure you opened the gift before reading this, huh? So I bet you're wondering just why these are in there, huh? Don't you remember? This is how we met, all because you couldn't swim. Maybe you still need these, huh? I don't know how well my lessons were. Haha._

_As for why I'm not here, I'm really at school. I'll meet you in our homeroom class, all right?_

_Riku_

Sora stared at the paper a little longer before he started laughing to himself. Of all the things Riku could do for a present, this had to be the oddest one of all. Not only did it bring back some good memories, but it was ridiculous for a sixteen year old boy to be standing on the beach with bright yellow inflatable arm waders. Now that must be a sight to see.

_All right, enough. Go find out what he _really_ bought you. I wanna know what it is._ Roxas began to sound excited.

"Oh, all right," Sora said with a sigh. He tried to stop laughing, but even as he walked through the town towards school he would start chuckling to himself. The boy still held onto his first present. "Man, I must look really silly."

_Not more than you usually do_, Roxas joked. Sora to laugh to that. He was glad that his Nobody was able to lighten up somewhat. If that was true, maybe other things could start to lighten up too? _Please, leave the deep thinking to me, Sora. Just get inside._

Sora didn't even realize that he was suddenly at school. He chuckled to himself as he slipped inside. After making sure he relocked the gate (the joys of having a Keyblade), he jogged inside the building. Without even carrying for who else might be trespassing on the premises, Sora raced up the stairs. His heart raced as he thought just what Riku had gotten him. In the past, the normally got him some type of video game or cool movie that the two could share together. Now that they were dating, he silently hoped that the present would be a little bit more intimate.

Sora slammed the door open with a bright smile to his face. He didn't even need to scan the room to guess that Riku wasn't here either. He sighed heavily while falling into a chair nearby. Running his hands through his hair, the boy wondered why his boyfriend had turned the day into a treasure hunt.

_Check your desk_, Roxas said. Sora did as he was told, but came up empty. If there was a present meant to be in the room, it wasn't there. _Check his desk_.

Sora moved over to Riku's desk and found a square box. It too was wrapped up like a present with a small note attached. Before he opened the gift up, the boy made a smart move and read the note first. He chuckled upon seeing the first line.

_I hope you're actually reading this first now because if you haven't learned your lesson then you won't get what the meaning of this gift holds. I don't know if you remember this, but it was because of this simple little thing that you and I became the way we are now. Go ahead and open it and see if you remember. If not, I explained it on the back._

Sora tilted his head at the vagueness of the note, but did as he was told. Once past the brightly wrapping paper, there was a little sheet of paper. It was a test. The name at the top said it was Riku's and from the style of handwriting and what the paper was about, it was a history test from back in fourth grade. The grade was a poor one, making Sora remember that even back then his boyfriend had troubles with history even back then. The boy had actually been held back a year just because of that class, but soon was right back on track when he skipped sixth grade.

"_Riku, you're so good at everything, but history!" a young Sora said in amazement. "Why is that? I don't get it."_

"_It just doesn't connect with me, that's all." Riku looked very disgruntled at the thought of failing a class. "My dad's gonna kill me when he sees these grades…"_

_It was right then that their friendship forever changed. Sora had thought of a brilliant idea which made him jump for joy. He snatched the test out of Riku's hands, holding it up high in the air as he waved his arms around._

"_Then let's compete!" Sora exclaimed._

"_Compete?" Riku asked._

_Sora nodded energetically. "Ya know, like we normally do!"_

_Riku laughed slightly. "But Sora, when we do that, we're normally playing a game. Our grades aren't a game."_

_Sora shrugged. "I think it is and it makes things go easier. I just think I'm playing video game and I gotta level up or something, ya know?"_

_Riku sighed, thinking to himself that only this brunette spiky haired friend of his could be so weird and fun. "So how will we compete?"_

"_Whoever can get the better grade is the best!" Sora said happily, his fist in the air._

_Riku grabbed his test back with a sarcastic smile to his face. "Oh, because that's such an imaginative bet, Sora."_

_Right on cue, Sora's cheeks puffed out, his eyes narrowed, and his cheeks flushed out of embarrassment. It was the most predictable thing the boy did and Riku loved it. It was one of those situations where one tortures because they care. The older boy did this with full gusto, knowing very well that no matter how much he taunted his friend, the younger boy was there to stay. He had no doubt of that._

"_Fine! You think up something better!" Sora cried angrily, crossing his arms and looking away._

_Riku shook his head. "Naw, I like this bet. I'll show that I'm the better one."_

_Sora spun around to stare at his friend. He pointed a finger at him. "You're just saying you like it because you can't think of a better bet!"_

"_Hardly, I can think of a million better bets," Riku chuckled. He began to walk away knowing that Sora would follow._

"_Yeah, well I still say my idea is a good one!" Sora joined Riku at the hip, just like he always had and always would._

"_Whatever you say," Riku laughed._

And it was from that moment on that the two became their competitive and hard headed duo they always were. Though they playfully competed when fighting on the beach, it soon turned into a quest to beat the other faster and harder than before. Their grades steadily rose as they outwitted one another. And it spread into their normal activities where they would eat faster than the other, beat a video game quicker, try to get the girl to notice them first, and become the stronger one in the heart.

But in reality, all they were doing was just try and show off to one another. The more they fought for the top spot, the more they realized how deep their feelings for each were. It was somewhere around one of their playful rivalries that Sora realized this. He was so scared to tell anyone that he hid it deep away in his heart, knowing no one would find it there. He knew that such a thing would not be taken lightly with Riku since it was obvious his crush on Kairi was just as strong as his.

And now, while standing there in the classroom Sora may have felt alone, but instead he was filled with unbelievable love for his childhood friend. His stupid bet had created that closeness to them, that eventual rift, and now that unbreakable bond they had for each other.

Turning over the card, Sora read what Riku thought of the matter.

_So you probably remember your side of the story, but I want you to know how I feel about this particular test. Yeah, it was thanks to your stupid bet (I still think it was stupid) that we started our rivalry that almost tore us apart. It was when you said that stupid bet that I knew I loved you. I was already starting to fall for you, but it was then I knew my feelings were true. I'm not sure why, but there are times where I think I know why. Meet me at the boardwalk to hear why. I've got the real present there for you._

Sora beamed and, holding onto his presents tightly to make sure they were still there, ran out of the school. He headed down to the beach, not even caring that he had practically just come from that area. The boy could care less. He wanted to see his boyfriend right then and there. If the Keyblade was out, the light it would've emitted would've reopened the door to light and possibly blinded out the sun. Sora's heart carried that much adoration for Riku.

_I bet he won't be there_, Roxas mumbled.

"I bet he isn't either, but every present I find gets me closer to him," Sora said happily as he ran faster down the hill.

_That would suck if he kept this up until it was time for your party_, Roxas said.

"Naw, he's not that mean," Sora laughed. It wasn't long before he reached the boardwalk. It was starting to become empty like it always did at fall time. The closer it got to Christmas, the less popular the area became. The outside vendors were closing up as the cold wind began to move in. All the trendy shops were closer inland in the downtown section and with the coming winds, the teenagers moved more towards the towering buildings. It wasn't hard at all to tell that Riku was, once again, not present like he said he would be.

Sora didn't mind. He sighed happily as he stuck his hands in his pockets. He wasn't too cold as he'd felt worse especially in the Land of Dragons. The boy decided that maybe his present was hidden somewhere on the boardwalk, so he began to search the ground.

"Hey kid!" Sora looked up and around. He assumed he was the one being called. There were only older adults walking the boards. "Over here."

Sora turned to see the hot dog vender from before. He was still out and about. He held out a note. "This is for you from your silver haired boyfriend. He wanted me to give you this."

Smiling happily, the boy quickly made his way to the man. He took the note, wondering if the present was inside, but saw that it was just a note telling Sora that now Riku was on the island and that he would love to see his present. Shrugging at, once again, the unclear message his boyfriend had written, the teen asked for his gift.

It was another square box, but this time, it obviously wasn't a test paper as it was heavier. Maybe this really was something and not some memory present.

_Sora! _Roxas exclaimed. His voice sounded disappointed. _Are you saying you'd rather have some store bought present than these wonderful memory gifts?!_

"Not at all!" Sora said aloud. He had walked a little ways away from the hot dog man, so he knew he hadn't frightened the guy. "I'm just excited to know what this one is."

Sora knew that Roxas was probably rolling his eyes.

The box turned out to be a video game. It was an extremely old video game, but looked like it was in mint condition. Correction, it _was_ in mint condition as the clear wrapping was still covering it. Sora instantly remembered this game. As a child, he had constantly played the game for hours on end. His mom, sadly, sold it back when he was thirteen years old because his game system had broken. The worst part of it was, his game system was fixed only two weeks later.

"Wow!" the vender exclaimed. He had become a bit curious as he snuck a look at the gift. "That's a classic! How did your boyfriend get that?! He must've paid a lot for it!"

Sora was at a loss for words. While at first, the shock of the gift had temporarily made the boy unable to breathe or think, the memory came back at full force. It was an important one, the one that started it all for Sora.

"_What's this?" Riku asked. He was going through Sora's games at his house. "Wow, I can't believe you play this game."_

_Sora snatched back his precious gift. He was ten years old and just beginning to become aware of his feelings for Riku. He had stuffed them away thinking that he just simply looking up to his best friend a lot and really trusted him._

"_So what?! It's my favorite game!" the young Sora snarled as he hugged his game protectively._

"_I heard it sucks," Riku said, his eleven year old self smirking back egotistically._

_Sora shook his head quickly, just like he had back in fourth grade, his face giving away all his emotions. Riku had to laugh at his friend. "No! It's awesome! People say that because they've never played it, but it is fun! Try it!"_

_Rolling his eyes and moving to sit next to Sora, Riku said, "You're so cute."_

_Sora's heart pounded in his chest. He saw his friend's face light up and look away as if nothing had happened. But something amazing _had_ happened. Sora fell head first for Riku as his heart ached only for him. Nothing else mattered. He wasn't sure if it was right to feel so much for a best _male_ friend, but he didn't care._

_Without even thinking, Sora reached out and hugged Riku. His embrace had shifted something deep inside the older boy. He moved and kissed the brunette. Caught off guard against the sudden tenderness, but not against it, Sora squeaked, but soon returned the kiss. There was no tongue, no quick hands, nothing too passionate. It was such a sweet and innocent kiss that it was almost better than any make-out session._

_It didn't last long and once it was over, nothing more was said about it. Both boys knew what had happened and neither one felt the need to delve more into the event. They just ignored it. Riku started playing the game Sora insisted he try. The small brunette sat on the floor next to his older friend, feeling his heart still beat wildly in his chest. He didn't watch the game, but instead tried to sort out his feelings._

_I love him… That was the tiny voice inside him had said at the time. And every time after that, it was repeated whenever Riku was near. When he was gone, that voice disappeared, only to return to him after his hand clasped the boy's. Sora may have fallen down crying, but it was only because he was relieved to know the feeling was still there. That voice still said it deep in his heart._

Sora turned to run, only then did he realize that he didn't know where to go. The vender saw him stop in his tracks when he came back to the older man.

"Sorry, but…did Riku happen to give you another letter?" Sora asked, embarrassed. He couldn't believe the hot dog man was involved in this.

The vender shook his head. "No, he just said to meet him on the islands."

"Oh! Thank you!" Sora cried as he tore off down the boardwalk.

_And we're back to square one_, Roxas said. _Now this is just getting annoying._

"I think it's cute!" Sora said happily. He was practically skipping to the docks. "He's really going out of his way to make this best birthday ever!"

_Yeah yeah…_, Roxas said. _I think he's just running out of ideas or something._

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sora pushed his boat into the water. He jumped into it and began to row quickly towards the islands he and his friends inhabited. "He has tons of ideas! He bought me all these things and out them where I'd remember wonderful memories of us and he even bought this old game for me! I think it's _you_ who's running out of reasons to be against Riku, Roxas."

For once, Roxas didn't reply. Smug with his point, Sora rowed harder knowing that his destination was close at hand. His mind raced with ideas of what would happen next. But when his boat touched the sandy beach, all his guesses were wiped from his head. He jumped from the boat and knew just exactly where to go.

"That was fast," Riku said. He lounged on his back on the tree that probably made just for him. No one else tried to steal it from the boy; they all knew it was his. Though he and Sora laid back on it more than anyone else, Riku still had claimed it as his own tree. "You must've run back and forth across the island."

Sora laughed as he came to a stop. He wasn't sure what to do first; hug his boyfriend so he could no longer breathe which would not only induce some form of payback for making him run around so long, or kiss him deeply and never letting go. It didn't matter because Riku made his move first.

"I guess you're wondering what all that was for?" Riku asked, jumping off of the tree.

Sora shook his head. "Not really. I think you were just buying some time."

Chuckling slightly, Riku nodded as he came closer to Sora. "Was it that obvious?"

"It's easy to tell when you're stalling for something," Sora replied as he crossed his arms. "The question is, what exactly, where you stalling for? You already got me a really expensive gift and all three of them were really wonderful."

"I thought if I could find cheap gifts that you'd like them," Riku laughed. "But I had to throw in an expensive one for you. I know how heart broken you were when your mom sold it. I figured we could play it later tonight."

Sora beamed, but looked at his waders. "Do you expect me to wear these and paddle around?"

Riku bent his head back and laughed loudly. It sounded so genuine that Sora had to join in too. He hadn't that laugh for two years. It was nice to have the old Riku back from time to time.

"Heh… not if you don't want to." Suddenly a present appeared from seemingly nowhere. "Actually, I'd like you to open this, if you could."

This present was the smallest. It was perfectly square with all the smallest details carefully paid attention to. A beautiful blue bow adorned its top like a crown. It was obvious that _this_ was the present Sora was supposed to love the most.

He took the gift in his hand, noting its lightness, while looking at Riku oddly. "This better not be some kind of joke."

Riku didn't respond, but instead looked extremely nervous. It was as if he feared what would happen when the present was opened; like something would explode. Sora looked at the gift apprehensively and then back at his boyfriend.

"There's no Heartless in here, is there?" Sora asked.

Riku laughed and shook his head. "No, Sora, it's fine. Just open it."

Slowly, Sora unwrapped his gift. He wanted to handle the precious package with the same care that Riku had given to the present. Under the colorful design was a pure white box. Cocking his head up at the older teen, Sora pulled the top off, his curiosity really beginning to boil.

All he needed to see was a flash of yellow before Sora dropped the box. He stepped back a few paces with his hand over his mouth, his eyes wide. He looked at the box as if it might attack and then up at Riku. He half expected his boyfriend to laugh and say it was joke only to reveal a real gift, but instead he remained serious and quiet. The older teen looked at the brunette almost with a hint of pain. Sora shouldn't have dropped the box.

"Riku…is…that…?" Sora had to collect himself before he dared to look at the box again. "Is that a paupu fruit…?"

Riku nodded, but didn't say anything. It was so he didn't open his mouth and say something to break anything that might be happening. The moment was so fragile that the slightest mistake could alter anything. The offering of a paupu fruit brought up all sorts of questions, emotions, and a heavy bout of hesitation. Awkward silence settled between the two as neither wanted to make the first move; probably setting off the time bomb that magically grew.

"Are…you sure?" Sora whispered. Had he asked if Riku was serious, the boy might have taken offense to it. Instead, the brunette put trust in his boyfriend to mean that there was no punch line. Riku always had been the most serious about the paupu's legend.

"Very," Riku replied quickly. He bit his lip, no doubt to stop himself from saying anything more.

Sora bent over and gently picked up the box. He peered down at the fruit apprehensively. He had never been offered such an intimate gift of any sort, though he and Riku had teased each other about sharing it with Kairi. Neither had the guts. Now, here Sora was, standing there on his sixteen birthday with the infamous fruit in his hands.

Before he could stop himself, Riku whispered, "Please…?"

Sora's eyes snapped up to meet Riku's. They held within them something that was sincere; something that he couldn't say no to. It wasn't long before those eyes made him want to eat the fruit, forever locking his destiny to his boyfriend's. What harm could it do? It was a sure fire way to make sure they were never apart again, even if they wanted to be. And that brought the security that Sora had been looking for in his relationship with Riku.

No words were spoken. Sora gracefully picked up the fruit, dropped the box, and bite into its mushy skin. Green juices dribbled out from the crevices he teeth created. There was a barely audible gasp from Riku as he watched his boyfriend start eating the fruit. Automatically, his hands reached out to share it. Sora handed it over as he licked at his lips. The tangy taste from the green goo was soon shared in Riku's mouth as he too bite down at one of the arms from the star shaped fruit.

Sora giggled a bit when he saw the green juice crawl down Riku's chin. The older teen chuckled, wiping his face clean before handing the fruit back to his boyfriend. They ate in silence, but never stopped smiling and looking at one another. One by one, the arms were eaten and they started in on the core of the fruit.

Riku took two bites, but swallowed only half. He waited until Sora had finished off the last bit of the fruit. Once it was gone from his boyfriend's mouth, he leaned in hastily and kissed him. The boy had already figured it was coming. He stole the fruit still in Riku's mouth. It was already soft enough to be swallowed, so he quickly disposed of that, returning to the delectable kiss. It was just like the one they shared when they were children, only this time the tongue was permitted.

No wild hands or passionate attempts at arousing the other. Just their bodies connecting in hopes to convey the love they shared for one another. A sweet kiss accentuated by the sugary juice inhabiting their mouths and their hearts beating hard in unison.

♥

It was during the party that it happened. There was a lot of music that played during the chaos, but eventually it settled down as a ballad came on. Kairi was slow dancing with Sora as he had promised to share a dance or two with his best female friend. The girl had her head on his shoulder and a smile to her face. The brunette's smile hadn't been erased since earlier that day. No one knew of his bond to Riku, but the redhead guessed as much. She could detect the same sharp smell on both boys.

"You know…Riku's changed," Kairi murmured.

Déjà vu hit the two teenagers instantly. Sora became a little unnerved as he remembered the last time they had this conversation was before the darkness came. He looked at his friend with worry in his eyes.

"Is that a bad thing?" he asked.

Kairi shook her head and smiled. "He's sweet and considerate. It's refreshing for him to be so open to people now. There's times where he can be an absolute asshole and that ego returns, but that's what we love about Riku, don't we?"

Sora nodded. His eyes instinctively found out the silver haired boy. He had promised a dance with Selphie. The two were talking and laughing. It really was nice to see Riku laughing with someone else and look so relaxed about being there.

"I think you did it all," Kairi said suddenly.

Sora looked back at his friend. "It wasn't just me. He went through a lot, so most comes from him. And there's everyone else. He wanted to return here for you too, you know."

Kairi smiled and shook her head. "I know we helped _now_, but you're the one that made him feel that it was ok to step over that boundary. You showed him that deep down there's that light that'll never go out no matter how much darkness resides in your heart."

With a sigh, Sora had to agree. He had seen Riku take baby steps ever since their relationship started. Today had cemented the boy's ability to trust people. Thanks to the way he was raised, such a feat was nearly impossible for a boy like him. Always wanting to impress everyone and feeling like he had the need to show he was just as deserving to be alive as the rest of the pack, Riku never had the time to see that he fit in with his group of friends just perfectly. It took a clumsy brunette to show him that he didn't need to do anything than exist to make people happy.

_Well…if that's true…_

Sora's head lifted in surprise. Roxas' voice had been quiet ever since they arrived on the island. He was wondering when the Nobody would speak his mind.

_If that's the case… then he's okay in my book._

Sora stopped dancing in utter amazement. Kairi was a bit confused, but figured it was because the slow song had ended. She let go of her friend and began to dance only to be pulled away in the crowd.

_You approve of Riku now, Roxas?_ Sora asked.

Roxas nodded with his arms crossed. _Riku's never been the type to do anything like that. He did a lot for you today, not just with the paupu, but with the other gifts. He was giving you a trail of his emotions. He was showing just how much you meant to him and how long it had been that way in his heart. I guess the jerk really doesn't want you just for your ass, but rather he truly cares for you._

Sora smiled sweetly. _It took you this long to realize that, Roxas? I knew it the minute Riku held his hand out to me back when I just got the Keyblade._

_How did you get it back then_? Roxas asked in bewilderment. _He had opened the door and wanted to kill you._

Sora shook his head. He looked over to see Riku coming closer. His heart jumped when their eyes connected. _No…if he wanted to kill me…he could've… So many times he had the ability. He's always been better than me and at many times, he really was… But he never did… Riku asked me many times to come along…to be protected from any harm. He wanted the best for me. Granted, he didn't make it out to be that way, but I knew._

_And how did you know?_

_Simple. He had offered me the paupu fruit once before._

Roxas stumbled a bit. He racked their brain to find this memory. _Where the fuck was this? I don't remember it!_

Sora chuckled as Riku came up to him. He could feel his heart racing, yet remain calm at the same time. Such an odd feeling.

_You don't remember the day before we were separated? He tossed me a paupu fruit and said that I had wanted one, _Sora explained.

_He meant for you to give it to Kairi_, Roxas said.

Sora leaned up and kisses Riku. The fruit was still present on his lips. The boy was sure that it was still on his as well. A smile formed between the two.

_No, I knew it was for me. There was no way Riku would _ever_ give such an important thing to a girl. It just wasn't like him…_

_I'm lost_, Roxas said, rubbing his temples.

Sora chuckled. _It's okay. Just leave the matters of the heart to the one who knows. I can feel these things._

Roxas stopped his motions and glared at Sora. _You're such an asshole… You're perfect for Riku._

* * *

_ All right, now we can all go, "AW!!!"  
_


	15. Chapter 15

_hoshiko's notes:_ I work at a toy store... That's my explanation (excuse) for not updating. It's only going to get worse. I've been told I have more hours. This chapter wasn't meant to go this way, but... it's what you get. Sorry, once again, my beta was out of town, so I apologize in advance for the poor grammar. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!_  
_

* * *

_Chapter 15_

Fall came and went all too quickly. The winter finals created a heavy atmosphere over the high school that lasted well into the final month of the year. Hope took the form of the holiday break, yet it seemed so far away. Sadly, this put quite a damper on everyone's plans. Destiny Islands, while known for its tropical environment, actually got chilly winters full of snow. December marked the start of this wonderfully white wonderland.

And while the snow began to fall from the sky, the students of Destiny Islands found themselves stuck inside to study for their finals. Fun time was out the question. Especially dates.

Sora found himself in an especially dark mood the closer it got to the holidays. His heart had started to ache the day after his birthday party, but he never said a word. Roxas had no idea of this problem, as he had no connections to the heart. The Somebody found himself desperately alone in the matter. He thought about talking to Riku or Kairi about it, but decided against it as he knew that would only make them worry. Sora didn't want to add more pressure onto his friends during their weeks of hell as well.

Deep into the nights, Sora could be heard talking to Riku on the phone. Whenever they were together, he felt his heart no longer ache. But when separated, it felt heavier than normal; even being on the phone didn't help. Once off the phone from his boyfriend, the brunette wondered why his heart felt so different. The only explanation he ever landed on was that he really _was_ falling in love with Riku.

_Haven't you _been_ in love with Riku?_ Roxas asked.

_There's a difference_, Sora said. He looked out his window at the island. There were so many memories that he shared them, almost all of which connected him with Riku. The most recent one, however, took precedent over all of the others.

_How's there a difference?_ Roxas asked, ignoring the memories suddenly popping up.

_Well…before it was I wanted to hang with him a lot and get closer… But now…_ Sora grabbed at the area over his heart with a sad smile on his face._Now…I'm in pain when I can't see his face or when I can't touch him… I want to be with him always__ and I only feel happy when he's there._

…_That just sounds like you're obsessed_, Roxas snorted.

Sora laughed before shaking his head._ I knew a Nobody like you wouldn't understand._

_Eh, you sprout the same junk that Axel did one time_. Roxas shrugged. _It just doesn't click with me, I guess._

_Sad._ And with that, Sora turned over and fell asleep. It seemed to take a long time for that lovely darkness of slumber to come to him.

Sora wasn't the only one experiencing that kind of pain. It came to Riku just as hard, only he felt not only his pain, but someone else's. It seemed as if he was becoming empathetic. But this was soon ruled out since he wasn't even near anyone else to feel a sense of total pain seeping deep inside him. It was pretty evident, though, whenever he was with Sora, all of that melted away and his heart became light.

When finals were over, Riku decided, he would take Sora on a date to say good-bye. Holiday break always meant the older teen would be gone until after New Years. He knew that this meant his heart would weep for the distance between the two. It was best to spend as much time as he could with Sora while he still could.

♥

Riku woke up to loud ringing in his ear. He searched for the phone, pulling it out from under his head. He almost didn't look at the number since the boy figured it was Sora, but he dared a glance. The teen had to do a double take. The number read his home phone.

Flipping it open quickly, Riku answered, "Hello?"

"Hey! Get up!" Sora exclaimed on the other end. "I'm all ready to go!"

Riku looked at his clock. He groaned as he fell back against his pillow. "Sora, get out of my house. It's nine in the morning…"

Sora shook his head. Wait, how did Riku feel the boy over the phone shake his head?

"Nope! You're leaving tomorrow, and I want today to be perfect! Now, get up! We're going on the best date that's humanly possible!" Sora was heading up the stairs. Riku could tell-- not because of the footsteps he eventually heard, but because he could _see_ the event actually happening. "I'm coming up to get you!"

Riku sat up in bed, alarmed that this was happening to him. How could he see Sora in his head so vividly? There was never a mention of this type of power from the King or anyone else that the boy had met in his adventures. DiZ never spoke of it either. Was it a special type of power no one knew of?

There was a silence on the other end of the phone. "Riku…why are you worried?"

"Worried?" Riku asked, his voice showing his true emotion as it cracked a bit. "What do you mean?"

"I can tell," Sora said silently.

"…How?" Riku's hand slowly moved up towards his heart. There, he felt it.

A second heartbeat.

Sora opened Riku's door. They both looked at one another.

"I don't know…I just can," Sora replied as he hung up the phone. His smile had vanished a little while ago. "What's wrong?"

"Tell me…you're not the only one that can feel that." Riku worked to calm himself down, but he felt that second heart begin to beat faster from fear and worry as well. This was not helping the situation.

Sora's hand had made its way to his chest as well. "You have heart burn, too? Or is it indigestion?"

That broke the seriousness, and Riku began to laugh. He ran his hand through his hair. The panic in both the hearts were chased off by the merriness that only Sora could bring to a room. Smiling and shaking his head at his silly boyfriend, the older teen got up from bed.

"All right, we'll go. Let me get dressed first."

"_Yes_!" Sora exclaimed, his heart filling with anticipation.

This only hurried Riku as he felt it too. It became contagious as he became excited to spend his day with Sora. Maybe the invasive heart wasn't such a bad thing. But Riku knew that while he was separated from his boyfriend over the coming week, his heart would wear on him. While he could handle the pain of his heart, feeling another beating in his chest would prove to be unbearable.

But if Sora felt it too, that would only make things harder. Oh, things were so difficult, now. Riku was certain it was because of the Paopu fruit. There was no other explanation, since it was shortly after they shared the fruit that he began to feel the affects. Actually, he could pin point the exact moment it started.

_Sora's party was just ending. The teen begged and pleaded with his parents to let Riku spend the night, but they refused. Both claimed they wanted some alone time with their son. The older teen understood and backed down, though he felt that this would've been the perfect time to finally go further with his boy. Somehow, he knew that Fuu and Kaze knew this too. They had once been teenagers as well._

_Walking home, Riku suddenly felt a horrible sadness and loneliness fall over him. It was odd and made no sense to him. Sure, when he left Sora__ he was a little down to be alone, but never this down. A terrible ache pounded in his chest. The boy's thoughts jumped to possibly another attack on his heart from Xehanort's heartless, but quickly pushed it aside. It was just the feeling of another heart beating in his chest. _

_Regaining himself, Riku continued home. The further away he got from Sora, though, the more his chest pinned to run back to him. Something was truly upsetting his boyfriend. He didn't know what or how he knew this, but he could tell. Suddenly, in an instant, it was all gone. Riku felt like he had just opened up a present and gotten exactly what he wished for. This made the night go a lot smoother for the boy._

_And sure enough, the next morning, Sora proudly showed off his new shoes for everyone to see. Riku remembered listening to the boy constantly whining about how he wanted them so badly because they were so cool. Now, he was wearing them just like Riku felt in his heart._

As they spent the day together, the second heartbeat was missing. But that didn't matter, since Riku's was, too. Actually, it was more like, they just beat together at the same time so neither one was noticeable. There were a few occasions were one would catch in someone's throat, but it would quickly fall back into place as they moved forward in the day.

The two went to see a movie, shop around for gifts for friends, eat at a nice café, compete against one another at the local arcade, and play in the park with friends in the snow. The snow always brought back good memories for the two boys. Sora got a wild idea to climb up top of a hill and see if he could slide down on his belly to the bottom. Riku knew it was a dumb idea, so he thought he'd experiment with something.

He thought of something along the lines of Sora hurting himself, which dripped fear down into his heart. The thick feeling entered the second heart causing Sora to stop his crazy antics. He soon walked down the hill waving off his little prank as "something a little kid would do" and saying "the hill wasn't big enough". Riku knew what it was though, and his heart was filled with happiness again.

He didn't even have to open his mouth to make Sora listen to him. Oh, the power. Not only that, he could practically have a conversation with the boy using only his heart. Oh, the possibilities.

But the date ended soon after that as the sun began to set as well as the temperature. Riku desperately wanted to do nothing more than follow Sora home and stay warm at his house. However, that wasn't the case. His father had been very adamant about what time to be home, what time to pack, and what time to get to bed tonight for the time to wake up and leave tomorrow. It had always been that way with Yama; stick to the schedule and nothing goes wrong.

Right on time, the two boys reached Riku's door step. That brilliantly uninvited silence managed to worm its way back into their lives. Both felt their hearts starting to drift apart as they took on their own beat, but neither wanted their day to end. Even though it was pretty childish of them since they'd see one another in a week or so, but there was something about parting after all they had been through. And now that their hearts acted the way they did, it made everything seem that much worse. Forget what age they were supposed to be at that moment, the two of them were having silent fits inside at saying good-bye.

"Well… I'll call you tonight, all right?" Riku asked. He leaned forward to kiss Sora.

Sora nodded, but didn't lean up. He was worried once that kiss started, it would soon end and so would their time together.

"Can't…you…convince your dad?" the boy tried.

Riku raised an eyebrow, almost laughing at Sora's request. "Seriously now…when has he_ever_ changed his mind about _anything_?"

Sora smiled slightly up at Riku. "When he allowed us to stay together."

Riku smirked, admiring Sora's efforts. "Okay, ya got me there, but I think this is non-negotiable."

Sora kicked at the ground with a sigh. "Somehow… I knew you'd say that…"

"Yeah well, you know me pretty well," Riku chuckled. He leaned in and finally got that kiss.

♥

_You know, I may not have a heart, but I know a lot about it_, Roxas said as Sora tried to sleep. _I know you're having a hard time with your recent problem. If you want to talk to me about it, you can, you know._

Sora smiled to himself. He got up and moved to the mirror. It was probably thanks to his imagination, but he saw his Nobody looking back at him. There was a message in his eyes that was clear he wanted to help. It was chivalrous for Roxas to want to help the one person he sometimes hated to help.

During the weeks that Sora fought with himself about the whole matter of the second heartbeat, Roxas had laid dormant inside him. The Nobody watched from afar in his darkness Sora's own dark side begin to struggle. The blonde thought back to his time in the Organization and all his lectures from his superior and the others about matters of the heart. He and Axel were always so curious about it.

"Thanks Roxas," Sora said to his mirror. "But I don't know what you could do."

"Well," Roxas started. "You have it pretty much figured out that because of the paopu fruit, you and Riku are now connected through the heart."

Sora nodded. "But why do I feel his heart as well? Even if we're joined, it shouldn't be like this. I've never even heard this happening with the fruit."

Roxas smirked and crossed his arms. "Yeah you have. The legend goes that if two people share it, their destinies will intertwine and they'll remain a part of each other's lives, no matter what. Right?"

Sora nodded. "But that means nothing of the heart."

"Oh come on now, Keyblade master!" Roxas laughed. "You of _all_ people should know that connecting destinies means the heart. How else are you connected to your friends from the outside worlds or to your friends here? The paopu fruit is just a little bit stronger."

Sora scratched the back of his head. "How…?"

Roxas shrugged. "Don't ask me. I don't know everything about the heart. But, it shouldn't matter. I mean, isn't this what you've been wanting; a way to always be with Riku?"

Sora blushed and nodded. "Yeah…but it kind of sucks that now that we get this, we're separating."

Roxas sighed and rolled his eyes. "My gawd you two are such babies. I swear. This is why I sometimes only like Riku. The guy's probably not whining about this. Look, Sora, just because he's going away for a week and school's being a bitch and all, doesn't mean this will be your_only_ time together. You make promises all the time, right?

Sora nodded. "Yeah… What's your point?"

"Well treat this like a promise," Roxas said, pointing at Sora's heart. "An eternal promise to Riku that tomorrow and the next day, no matter where he is, he'll always be in your heart. And that when you get up the next day, even if he isn't here, you know that soon you'll be able to see him and be with him. That's what you should see this as."

Sora swayed a bit on the spot. He was pretty impressed by Roxas words. The Nobody knew this and had to duck his head. "Wow, Roxas. Where did you pick up that stuff?"

"You hang around eleven guys and two girls obsessed with hearts, you just pick these things up," Roxas replied with a cough. He didn't look his Somebody in the eye.

"Two…girls?" Sora asked. He raised an eyebrow. "Huh? I only remember one."

"Er… it's time for bed," Roxas said. He moved Sora's body towards the bed.

While Sora's mind raced at what exactly Roxas had meant by the words, the other words the blonde had said began to bubble back up to the surface. It brought quite a smile to his face. Quickly thinking of how to use this second heart thing to his advantage, Sora sent a wave of happiness and joy to Riku mixed with that promise Roxas had mentioned.

All Riku got were the words, _I promise to wake up tomorrow and still love you._

♥

Call them softies, but it was exactly two days apart that the boys went insane. Their phone calls just didn't do them justice and they still weren't able to get the hang of their new form of communication. Truth be told, the boys were a little hesitant about it. They preferred to only use their hearts when the other felt too lonely.

Christmas Eve was finally here. Sora was lucky and got to spend half the day with Kairi, Selphie, Tidus, and Wakka. He brought Riku along in his heart, but it just wasn't the same and it's not like the rest of the group knew. The boys didn't have it in them to tell Kairi about it either. Both feared she might get a little emotional, but something told the older teen that she knew. Girls always had that freaky way of knowing these things.

Once night fell, the quietness began to settle and the family members filled the houses. Riku was staying with relatives already, but more and more came. He was used to being the spotlight of attention, but this year, things had changed quite a bit. Word had spread to the relatives of his new relationship. While some commended him and even congratulated him, those on Yama's side of the family tended to cast an ignorant eye on the boy.

Sora, on the other hand, was overwhelmed by all the sudden attention he was receiving. It was his first Christmas back home since he had left. He missed out on two years worth of present and two years worth of everything that came with the holiday. He sent plenty of cheer to friends and family, not forgetting to pass it along to his other worldly friends, before collapsing in his bed late at night. He was so exhausted that when Riku called, he didn't wake up to answer. The boy could handle only so much love and hugs and kisses in one day.

Suna walked up the stairs to check up on her son. She peeked in his room to see him lower his cell phone with a sad sigh. Either he had just gotten off the phone with Sora or he hadn't reached him at all. The mother concluded it was option two as she saw Riku flip open his phone again to dial his boyfriend back.

"Well, it's such a nice night tonight, huh?" Suna asked causing Riku to jump. She giggled while slipping inside his dark room. She turned on the light. "Don't get these much way out here on this part of the island, huh?"

Riku looked at his mother curiously. "Um, it's always nice on the tip, mom. You know that. It's no different than last year."

Suna smiled. "You weren't here last year, so how would you know?" The boy bit his lip, sensing defeat. The woman laughed and sat beside Riku. "Want an early Christmas gift?"

"Sure. I mean, who doesn't?" Riku laughed. He turned to his mother expectantly.

A single ticket for the train was placed in his lap. It was his chance to get home allowing Riku a way to arrive back at the middle of the island by tomorrow morning. The boy quickly reached to scoop that precious gift up, but was foiled before hand. Suna held them away from her son with a serious expression on her face.

"Before you get these…you have to do something for me," Suna said.

"Yeah, sure. Anything." Riku worked to suppress the excitement building up inside him for fear the emotion would alert Sora. He wanted to surprise his boy. Already, tons of ideas of how just to do that were popping up in his head.

Suna folded her hands on her lap and looked Riku in the eye. "Where have you been?"

Riku's heart jumped and slammed into his chest so hard that it awoke Sora with a start. The older teen knew that his boyfriend had yelped out into the night suddenly only to look around in confusion. Suna waited as her son fumbled around with the explanation in his head.

"Mom…I…"

"No explanation, no ticket," Suna said. "And I don't want you to lie."

Sighing, Riku admitted defeat. He could trust his mother to not repeat things. "Don't tell anyone…"

"I won't."

"Promise?"

"Riku, just tell me or else I ground you," Suna said, a small smile fighting its way onto her face. She could be just as nasty as Yama, but in ways not even he could understand.

"All right, fine." Riku took a deep breath and worked out a way to start the story. "Do you…know of the Keyblades?"

If there was ever a moment to capture the look of someone's face, now would have been it. Suna could have looked confused, but instead she looked down right terrified. The woman jumped to her feet, her hands over her mouth.

"Oh my…where you kidnapped by them?!" Suna squeaked.

"What?" Riku laughed. "Mom, no, i wasn't kidnapped by them. Why would you ask such a thing?"

"Because the Keyblade is dangerous!" Suna exclaimed. "Oh my gawd, you've been with_them_ this whole time?! Is that where Sora's been?! Oh, no wonder you two are so different!"

"Mom, calm down!" Riku grabbed his mother's arm gently, pulling her back to the bed. "It's all right. We know the Keyblade is dangerous, but if used in the right way, it can save everyone. And…it has."

"What do you mean?" Suna asked slowly. She was trying to compose herself before she passed out from hyperventilating.

"Well…how do you think the islands were returned?" Riku asked. Suna's eyes lit up.

"You saw this happen?" the woman asked quickly in excitement.

Riku looked down sadly. "Er…no…I, uh… Well… I was somewhere else… But I know who did it."

"Who?" Suna asked happily.

"Sora."

A bark of laughter from down below cut the silence that was almost going to interrupt them. The shock of the Keyblade hero being Sora wiped off Suna's smile. She was completely taken off balance by this revelation. Riku smiled and looked down at his lap fondly. He imagined how much Sora would've loved to hear all the talk of his deeds. So talk Riku did.

The boy went into light detail of everything that happened, skipping over small details like Sora killing himself, Riku unlocking the door to darkness, and his own near death experience. All the while, Suna became more and more shocked. Her expression didn't change one bit. She remained in awe the entire time, making Riku just a little nervous, but he brushed it off.

"And then…we came back here," Riku finished. He sat back, giving his mom some time to let it all sink in. "No one knows. I'm positive Sora has yet to tell his parents…so…"

Suna didn't say a word, but handed over the tickets to Riku. The boy took them slowly, but kept his eyes on his mother. He wanted to make sure she didn't faint. While the opportunity to bolt out of the house was at hand, he felt compelled to stay and see how Suna would take the news.

"Can I see…?" the woman asked quietly. She locked her eyes with Riku's.

With a heavy sigh, Riku called forth his Keyblade. It had been so long since he summoned The Way to Dawn that it almost felt foreign. But just like riding a bike, the feeling became all too familiar in a heartbeat.

Speaking of which, the jolt of light that filled up Riku's heart to bring out his Keyblade woke Sora up again. He knew what was happening and became worried. Instantly, he reached out to his boyfriend.

_What's going on?!_

Riku smiled as he showed off the weapon to his mother. His heart leapt hearing Sora's in his. He reminded himself to not give away the secret of his trek soon.

_It's ok, Sora. My mom…she just found out about our little time together in the universe. She wanted to know about the Keyblade, so I'm showing her it._

Sora sighed in relief. He fell back against his bed only to realize that out of habit, he had pulled out his Keyblade as well. _Well…that's a relief. Okay…good…_

_Sorry to wake up, Sora. Go back to bed. And put your Keyblade away, all right?_

But it was too late. Fuu had walked in when she heard Sora cry out. Their eyes met and no amount of excuses could cover up the giant key-like weapon in Sora's hands.

_Shit…now _my_ mom found out…_

_Merry Christmas._

♥

Fuu had taken the news a lot better. She had called Kaze up. They were both extremely impressed and interested. At first, they just wanted to study the blade rather than go into details, but soon the questions started. The most confusing began when unknown names popped up.

"…Ven?" Sora asked. "I don't…know anyone named Ven."

Kaze bit his lip. "Maybe he gave you his other name. But why…Ven is his alias."

Sora rubbed his arm nervously. "Um…who is he?"

"If you have the Keyblade, then you must know of him," Kaze said.

"I should?" Sora asked. He looked at his parents oddly. "Why? Do you know him?"

Fuu and Kaze exchanged glances before looking at their son. "We'll explain later. But you're certain you don't know him or Terra or Aqua?"

"Who are _they_?" Sora asked.

The parents sighed in frustration and decided to move on. "We'll explain later" was all they said to Sora's constant questions. Eventually, all was said and done. Fuu and Kaze were spent, but they remained with their son. They took one last look at the weapon before turning to Sora.

Fuu hugged Sora tightly, petting his head tenderly and kissing him like a mother should. "I knew something had happened to you, but for you to become a Keyblade Master at _such_ a young age is a marvelous feat!"

"Our Sora is a hero," Kaze mumbled. It was obvious he was ecstatic with pride for his son and the heroic deeds he had done.

"Thanks mom and dad," Sora beamed. He hugged them tightly and though that, yeah, it was a good Christmas gift to them. He had never seen them so happy in all his life.

_Well that's fine and dandy, but who were those three?_ Roxas asked. _I know I've heard of their names before…but I don't remember who they are…_

Sora bid his parents good night before looking at the mirror. "It doesn't matter. We'll ask King Mickey later. He'll know. I think he mentioned them once before. But not tomorrow. It's his Christmas too."

Roxas crossed his arms. He wasn't a holiday type of guy. "Fine, but soon. I think all of us should figure this stuff out."

"Yeah, yeah," Sora said, jumping right back into bed. He was pooped again. After being so out of shape with the Keyblade, he was drained. There wasn't even enough in him to say good night or check up on Riku. Oh well, he'd be there to talk to tomorrow.


	16. Chapter 16

_hoshiko's note:_ Okay, so... I had this ready on Monday, but there was a problem that, thankfully, TheSeer helped me out. Thanks! This chapter goes out to them and to PoeticFolly.  
No, this isn't the last chapter. Close, but no cigar.

Oh yeah...this chapter has a different rating. I will use caps just in case anyone misses it.

THIS IS AN M RATING!!!  
I didn't want to get too graphic because of certain rules, but it's good enough.  
Anyways, enough of my notes. I hope you enjoy this one! Happy Holidays to everyone!

* * *

_Chapter 16_

Waking up to a buzzing in his ear, Sora wasn't too pleased to see the light for once in his life. Wincing, but resorting to stretching and yawning, the teen begrudgingly pulled his cell phone out from under his pillow. It better be an emergency because not even Riku could save his hide now for waking the boy so early.

_Morning Sora! Are you up yet? You shouldn't be! It's Christmas morning! If you're still in bed, what the hell is wrong with you? Are the worlds blinking out again? Haha, I kid. I love you._

_-Riku_

Sora's head snapped to his clock to see that it was almost ten. Forget the warm bed; there were presents downstairs. The brunette tossed his covers aside and quickly searched for his slippers. His house was covered head to toe in cold wooden floorboards. In the morning, it was normally cold, but in winter, it was almost painful to walk around with bare feet.

"Ah hah! Found ya!" Sora exclaimed as he pulled the blue slippers out from under his bed. He hurriedly shoved them on his feet, raced to his door, and bolted down the stairs.

Jumping down the stairs three times in a row, Sora easily could've woken up all his family. Luckily, for them, they were already awake. Smiling and welcoming the young teen, they revealed the brightly lit Christmas tree in all its glory with presents and twinkling lights bouncing off of the shiny ornaments adorning the branches.

"Yes! Thank you Santa! I knew I was still on that list!" Sora dove headfirst into his batch of gifts.

"Santa?" Sora's aunt asked. "I thought you stopped believing in him long ago."

"I did," was all Sora said. He didn't want to delve into the matter any further. He knew, however, that his parents had an idea as to what their son had meant.

Music started playing and the scent of coffee became the most prominent smell in the household. Sora hugged his new video game to his chest, looking at his family members. His grandfather was the one that really caught his eye. He had never noticed it before, but the man looked an awful lot like Roxas. Or maybe it was just that Roxas looked a lot like him. No one else in the family looked like that.

"Sora?" his grandfather called. The phone rang faintly in the background calling away Sora's mother. "Could you come here for a minute?"

"Sure!" Sora moved so he was sitting next to his grandfather. He looked up to the old man a lot and saw him as a great outlet of wisdom. The man had a few quirks that always stood out the oddest to the boy, but he surmised that was because he had lived such a full and long life. It gave him the right to be so weird if he chose to be. "What can I do for ya, grand daddy?"

"Tell me about this Riku boy," he asked with a small smile to his eyes. "I don't think I've met him before and I want to make sure he's not some pervert."

Sora rolled his eyes. "Always the jokester. You've met him multiple times, grand daddy. He's the one with silver hair and aqua eyes. He's really rich. He bought me that expensive DVD box set a few years ago that you commented on. Remember?"

"All right, so I've met him. But I don't really _know_ him." The old man leaned forward, his deep sky blue eyes boring into Sora's. In the back of the teen's mind, he wondered if this was what it looked like to everyone else when he pushed his face close to theirs. "What makes him so special that you chose him over all the other girls and guys?"

Sora laughed nervously. He wasn't prepared to really answer any questions about his boyfriend; a slip on his part. The words should have come easily, but he found himself at a loss. Unsure what to say, the boy floundered about.

"You don't know?" the man asked, raising an eyebrow. "Not good, Sora."

"No, it's not that." Sora scratched the side of his head. He laughed again. "It's just…it's not easy to describe. It's like telling a blind person what the color blue is. It's really hard, that's all."

"I see… well then, why don't you just give me grade school lingo? I'm an old man and my brain doesn't connect well with poetic descriptions," the grandfather chuckled.

"Heh, grade school stuff huh? Well, I like hanging with him all the time. That's a major factor. I just feel _right_ when I'm with him and having him always around is just so natural I hate it when he's not around." Sora soon fit into a nice mold as he began describing his complicated feelings in childish adjectives. "He's funny, but most people don't get his rude humor. I guess it's just one thing I overlook. He's kind to a fault and never blames others for something they did. He'd rather put himself in the way of any pain than let a friend go down. Even though Riku slips on a few things, he recovers well and makes up for it by becoming the gentlest guy in the world. I know there are faults in him, but I don't care. I love Riku anyways. He makes me happy."

"He makes you happy…," Sora's grandfather repeated softly. He had a placid smile on his face while he looked off to his grandson's right. His hands rubbed one another as he took in the words Sora had just said. Looking back at the brunette before him, he rumbled out a small laugh. "That's all that's important in life. Be happy. If Riku makes you happiest, then always be with him."

"I plan to do just that," Sora said happily. His heart became a light at such a thought. The boy sent the excitement out to his boyfriend, hoping that it would make his day.

"Sora?" Fuu called. She emerged from the kitchen having just gotten off the phone. "We have more company coming soon. We need to clean this place up a bit. Why don't you take the trash out?"

"All right, mom," Sora said as he started to stand.

"Oh, but what about that gift?" Sora's aunt asked. She pointed at the base of the tree where a present covered in snowflake wrap lay. "It has your name on it, Sora. I'm surprised you didn't open it yet."

Sora shook his head. "Nope! That's from Riku. I won't open it until I see him again."

There was a collective giggle and sighs as the relatives remembered their young love. Sora rolled his eyes, quickly scooped up the wrapping paper littering the floor. Grabbing a black garbage bag, the teen quietly did his small chore. Fuu opened the front door allowing the brunette to easily lug the full trash bag out front where the garbage can sat, waiting for the garbage truck to come soon.

"Oh, it seems our company is already here…," Fuu said peacefully.

Sora looked over, surprised at the quickness of the new guest. The bag he held in his hands slipped from his grasp. He swayed on the spot for a few seconds, taking in the shot that stood before him.

"Hey Sora," came the deep voice of Riku. "I'm home early."

Fuu smiled and swiftly stepped out of the scene. Without a sound, she made sure the door enclosed the two boys in their own little world, disconnected from the family Riku was about to encounter. Sora wasn't sure what to do first. His instincts told him to hold fast to his boyfriend, keeping him close to his body to make sure that the older teen was, in fact, really standing in his front yard on Christmas day. However, his sensible side reminded him that doing so would cover them both in wet and messy snow that would later evaporate to become cold water on their nice warm clothes.

Sora decided to not listen to his sensible side. The snow would dry eventually.

Riku cried out in surprise and happiness as Sora flung his body at him. It was a chaotic collapse into the snow bank behind the older teen, but the blow was softened by the snow. The scene was right out of a movie seen before Christmas. But this wasn't a made-for-T.V. movie and there was no heart warming music or teary eyed audience to take in the affection the two shared with one another. Instead, it was warm hands embracing a familiar body.

Sora could hardly contain his happiness. He attacked Riku's face with multiple kisses; those that landed on his lips were a little longer than the others. Words couldn't be spoken as their hearts beat together as one for the first time in days. It was as if they had been separated for years again thanks to darkness the way they received each other.

Riku stopped Sora quickly by pulling his lips to his, kissing him deeply and lovingly, and then sitting up so the younger boy sat in his lap. "I take it you're happy to see me?"

"What're you doing here?!" Sora exclaimed, breathless from his assault on Riku's face.

Raising an eyebrow, Riku shook his head. "That wasn't an answer."

Sora sighed loudly, quickly hugging his boyfriend. "Of _course_ I'm happy to see you! Didn't my tackle and kisses prove it?"

Riku laughed, holding his hands up in defeat. "You're right. I'm sorry. I'm glad you're so excited."

"I'm fucking ecstatic!" Sora cried. He threw his hands up in the air. "This it the _best_ Christmas present ever! I love surprises!"

"Since when?" Riku asked, resting his body weight on his elbows as he leaned back into the snow bank behind him.

"Since I found out that Ansem, er, Xehanort's Heartless that helped Kairi was really you…and had always been you," Sora replied.

Riku smiled warmly, happy to hear such a sweet and heartfelt answer from Sora. If this was a movie, the music would crescendo, especially as they kissed again. This time, it was less savage and more of a welcome home that calm couples would have for one another.

The sound of the front door was heard opening slowly. Sora had been reminded many times to put oil on the hinges to silence the squeaking. Both boys moved to look at who was interrupting them.

"Well now! I didn't think I'd ever see my little nephew in the arms of such a handsome boy!" Sora's aunts laughed. They watched on as if they were the audience that belonged to the television movie special.

Sora groaned, making to move, but Riku held fast. He chuckled as he flashed that infamous smile making the older women giggle like little school girls. "And I see where Sora gets some of his feminine beauty from."

"Oh, what a charming young man," Sora's grandmother said, joining her daughters. "Is this Riku?"

"Sure is," Fuu said as she joined her sisters. "Isn't he good with words?"

Sora's grandmother nodded. She looked over to see her husband join him. Riku narrowed his eyes a bit, realizing for the first time how similar he and Roxas where. Sora's grandfather agreed as well. "He sure will grow into quite the brown noser one day, won't he?"

The family laughed loudly, bringing red to Riku's face instantly. Sora patted his boyfriend on the back then got out of his lap. "These are my aunts and grandparents."

Riku got up with a sigh, holding his back as if it hurt. "Your grandparents, I've met. Your other relatives, I haven't. My name is-"

One of the older aunts waved her hand to stop Riku. "We know your name, honey. No need to tell us."

The youngest aunt nodded, giggling still at the silver haired boy. "Our cute little nephew has been talking about you ever since we got here."

"Did he now?" Riku asked as he rolled his eyes down, smirking egoistically at Sora. "Well, isn't that adorable?"

"As cute as this all is," Kaze interrupted. He and the other males, aside from Fuu's father, hadn't joined the rest of the group. They didn't have any desire to giggle over two boys hugging in the snow like some girls. Instead, they opted to watch the children play with their new toys inside. "Lunch is almost ready and we have yet to even set the table. Riku, always a pleasure, son."

Sora then realized something. "Hey wait, are you staying here with us, Riku?"

Riku started laughing. He ruffled Sora's hair affectionately. "Oh Sora… you're so forgetful sometimes. Why else would I be home early and with all my luggage?"

Sora looked down to see that Riku had, in fact, dragged all his luggage with him to his house. The boy blushed, embarrassed, then snatched up the boy's bags. "All right, then let's get you settled in."

He looked up at his mother. "I have a feeling you were a part of this."

Fuu looked away with a sly smirk. "Well…I got a phone call last night from Suna asking if Riku could stay. Then, Riku called when he was down the street saying he was here. I just helped set up you're meeting, that's all."

Sora smiled brightly. "Thanks mom."

Fuu nodded as Kaze called them inside again. The family members turned to go inside, still chuckling and giggling about the earlier incident. Once the screen door had squeaked shut, Riku pulled Sora over by his waist. The boy yelped in surprise, only to find his boyfriend nuzzling lovingly into him.

Riku whispered in Sora's ear, "Merry Christmas."

♥

After a few tiresome days, New Year's Eve brought about the excitement that everyone had been waiting for. Everything was all scheduled in preparation for the party. Morning meant cleaning, afternoon was time for decorations and errands, while evening was down time. Despite all the work, Sora was the most anxious for the holiday. He strung up party garlands and almost started the celebration early.

Fuu and Kaze worked diligently on the food. It was a well known fact that they had the title of parents with the best party food. They had to keep up their reputation especially since this year, they wouldn't be around to share in the favors; they were only taking half the food with them to their adult party they would be attending.

Riku, however, had never been to the family's party before, so he watched from the sidelines. The boy offered to help, but the parents refused, saying that he was a guest. "But I'm living here until Wednesday. Shouldn't I help even a little bit?" The silver haired boy pressed.

Fuu shook her head. "It'd be too weird. This is traditional for us. It's sweet of you, but really, you'd just be in the way."

Sora, on the other hand, gladly accepted any help especially from Riku as that meant more time to spend with his boy. The older teen didn't mind helping around the house. It was better than being with his family. Still, he began to miss his mother. He had left her in such a shocked state with no explanation. At night, he would call to talk to Suna and let her know he still loved her.

Sora reassured his boyfriend by telling him his words helped his mom calm down. "She'll be fine." The boy snuggled up to Riku. The two were currently hiding from Fuu's constant calling on their help in the guest bedroom. "It was her choice to let you go. If she really was worried, she'd have told you to come home or said something."

Riku chuckled, thankful for the sweet words. "My mom never says what worries her, but I know what you mean. Thanks Sora."

He kissed Sora's head, making the younger boy giggle. Riku's heart skipped, disarming his ability to stop the hormones that fueled his actions. The playful nips to lips turned into heated kisses. Both boys started melting into bliss that was tethered down by consciousness from the feeling of their hands touching the other's skin. Ever since they were reunited, neither one had any real time to just be alone and let their emotions take charge. The two had settled into their own routine after working all day; staying up late watching movies together, playing video games, reading comic books, and playing practical jokes on one another. At one point or another they would lapse into nostalgia, reminiscing about their times before and after their lives changed. Right now, though, words were set on the back burner as the boys finally got their chance to explore one another some more.

"Riku…," Sora whispered, tilting his head back. He began to pull his boyfriend backwards onto the bed.

"Sh…," Riku mumbled. He lay on top of Sora, caressing his sides slowly, and giving the boy a small hickey behind his ear. It turned him on even more as he heard the brunette moan under him. Only a few more seconds passed and the two pressed erections up against one another.

Moaning once more, this time a little louder, Sora struggled to say, "Please…take-"

"Boys! Dinner!" called Fuu from the other side of the door.

Instead of jumping apart, the two slowly stopped their actions. Sora didn't even attempt to repeat what he was going to say and Riku didn't press. The older teen had a feeling he knew what his boyfriend was going to say. Amazingly, he didn't want it to go any further. It wasn't time.

"Sora," Riku said, stopping the boy from leaving. "You know that I'm not all about just having sex with you, right? I mean, I know recently that it seems to be that way, but it's not."

Sora smiled. "I know. And it's fine. You and I are just the type of people that take sex as a serious matter."

"Well actually…I'm scared," Riku mumbled, embarrassed. He silently cursed himself for feeling so insecure about telling Sora when he trusted and loved him so much. Looking down and blaming his weakness, the boy's fists clenched. The younger teen placed his hands on the tight hands.

"I am too," Sora said gently. He slid up into Riku's face, forcing the boy to look at him. "I know that you feel that if we go that far, it'll change everything. It will, but I won't run and hide from you. I love you so much. I spent two years trying to find you. Why would I run away just because we shared hearts with each other. Haven't I proven to you that I'm ready for that when I ate the paupu fruit? Whether we have sex or not means nothing to me. What is important to me is if you're still here in the morning…"

Riku knew then that he was truly blessed. He had betrayed so many, crawled through sludge, was shoved in humiliation's face, and stripped of all his strength only to find himself overwhelmed with compassion, friendship, and pure love. It wasn't just Sora, but all his friends. People at school were starting to let it go that he was homosexual and his old friends were coming back to him. His own father had stopped his insulting questions about the relationship. While Sora was the true hero of saving his boyfriend, it was everyone else back home along with the boy that saved him after the chaos. Without it, he might have slipped back into darkness from guilt and shame.

The sweet kiss that followed transported all that thanks into Sora's heart. The neat little package was wound together between their hearts so it could slide into the younger boy's chest and he could understand the meaning. That special connection they shared allowed Riku's heartfelt gratitude to be sent to every person the two knew, allowing him to thank them all. Even Roxas felt a sense of being appreciated in his hollow chest.

Sora gladly allowed his heart to be that tie to everyone for Riku. Their intimate moment changed to a wordless conversation between the couple.

-Thank you for being by my side as I fell.-

-You're welcome. I'll always be here for you.-

-And I for you. I'll never hurt you again.-

-I know.-

♥

Eight o' clock on the dime and the doorbell rang. The food had been prepared, the house spruced up with twinkling lights reminiscent of Christmas earlier that week, and the peace was waiting to flip into chaotic fun. As the door opened, loud voices belonging to hungry teenagers entered the house. The parents had dropped the kids off, got together with one another, and left with Fuu and Kaze. Sora was grateful for the alone time with his friends.

Music blared and games were started. As the cookies, chips, and candy were passed about, the group settled into their own groove. Tidus and Wakka hung around with the other Blitzball gang while Selphie kept to her noisy clan of chatty girls. Sora mingled from one group to the other, always stopping to say hello, catch up on his friend's holiday break, and make sure they were enjoying themselves. Multiple times he would glance over to see if Riku was okay with so many people. Ever since they came home he had become the anti-social person at the party or with large numbers of people. So far, however, he was all smiles and talked with quite a lot of different people.

Kairi approached Riku, kissing him on the cheek. "You're welcome."

Riku beamed and then asked his dear female friend to dance. They swung time backwards as if the darkness and a brunette boy came between them. Laughing about jokes no one else would understand settle the matter that things were great between the two and there was not a hint of bitterness in either one's heart.

Sora swelled with pride and happiness knowing everything was going even better than he had planned. Only four more hours until the New Year reigned in. On Destiny Islands, it was customary for a star to fall from high in the sky while at the same time, an old looking one was shot up into the sky where it exploded into fireworks. Everyone was always most anxious about the celebration.

♥

Three hours passed and more than half of the party had gone home. Sora was sitting in between Kairi and Riku, chatting it up with them both like old days long gone. Wakka, Tidus, and Selphie all occupied the floor before them. They would join in on the conversation seamlessly.

Eventually, when the hour was almost up, it was just the original gang. A food fight broke out as the countdown began. Sora ducked low as candy canes were flung at his head. Kairi laughed hard as she poured juice down Wakka's pants. Riku and Tidus ambushed poor Selphie with popcorn. There was a loud bang that made the group jump. They didn't realize that the countdown had landed on the single digits now. The food fight was quickly forgotten.

The crowd shouted out the numbers as well as by the group as they watched on television. Sora's eyes were glued on the star starting to move towards where it would blast up into the sky. But his thoughts were interrupted as he remembered that when the star explodes, couples usually kiss one another. The boy's head spun around as he located Riku, still laughing over his attack on Selphie.

Sora smiled, sliding over to his boyfriend. The older teen didn't even have to look over as he knew that a small brunette had occupied the space to his left. He simply reached out, pulled the younger teen up to his hip. Selphie was pulled away by Tidus; he knew the two boys wanted their space and quite frankly, he didn't want to see them do anything.

"One!" everyone shouted.

The star exploded, sending the crowd over the edge as streamers and confetti were released into the air. Back home, Kairi celebrated with her friends, happy to be with them this year instead of half alive on some mysterious world. She happened to glance over and see her two best friends commemorating the New Year with their lips and hands. Smiling to herself, she looked away knowing that she didn't really need that in her life anymore to make herself feel happy. Looking around, the redhead knew that as long as she still had her friends, that was enough for her heart.

♥

"Night guys!" Sora called. He waved from the front door, watching the retreating backs of his friends. Closing the door with a sigh, the boy turned to Riku standing behind him. "Well, I'm pooped!"

Riku chuckled. "Well it is almost four. I'm sure you've never stayed up this late before, have you?"

Sora shook his head. "Not true! I once stayed up all night. I had to when I fought pirates."

"You fought pirates?" Riku asked, looking surprised. His heart told Sora that he wished he had been there to fight as well. The two had always had a cherished dream together that they'd become pirates, sailing off into the sunset on a boat with a crew of rough and rowdy killers.

Sora nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! I got to be one too!"

Riku smiled in spite of himself. He knew that Sora would just say that he was in his heart and that he too had been a pirate too. The older teen looked over at the clock.

"I wonder if I have time to check in on the King," Riku said to himself.

Sora looked over. "Oh yeah, I should wish Donald and Goofy a happy New Year too."

Riku cracked his neck from stiffness as he yawned. "I haven't talked to the King in a long time. I wonder how he's been."

Suddenly, Sora got a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He remembered the scroll King Mickey had given him almost two months ago. It was long forgotten since the last time the boy had tried to give it to Riku was when the two almost had sex at school. The teen gulped, knowing that the King had said it was urgent for Riku to read it and now it was collecting dust on his desk.

"Er…Riku…?" Sora started. He rubbed his arm. "There's, uh…something I've been meaning to give you."

"What is it?" Riku asked.

Sora pointed up at the ceiling. "It's up in my room. Follow me."

The two walked up the stairs. It felt awkward to know they were alone in the house in the early morning, but Sora pushed it aside. He knew that Riku wasn't going to be happy reading a late letter. And worse, it might have asked his boyfriend to come visit sometime.

However, Sora feared that it asked for Riku to come and stay permanently.

"Here," Sora whispered, handing Riku the scroll. "King Mickey gave me this awhile back… I just…forgot to give it to you…"

Riku took the scroll slowly. "Why's that?"

Sora bit his lip, looking away. "Just read it."

"Did you read it?" Riku asked.

Sora shook his head. "It's your letter… I didn't want to invade your space."

"Sora…Do you think the King's going to ask me to leave?"

Sora didn't answer. The teen moved away to sit on his bed. He lay his head on the pillow, afraid to know what the letter said. His heart beat wildly as he watched Riku pull out the message and begin to read it. The entire letter itself was two pages long, so it took a little while. For the two minutes it took to reading the message, Sora felt himself going insane with anticipation.

Eventually, Riku lowered the papers. He looked at Sora's desk deep in thought. Squirming on his bed, Sora knew that his suspicions were confirmed. Riku hadn't smiled to quell his boyfriend's obvious discomfort. Silently, the brunette blamed himself for waiting so long to give the letter off to the proper recipient.

With a deep sigh, Riku sat on the bed at Sora's feet. He ran one hand through his hair. "What did you think the letter would say, Sora?"

Sora fiddled with his hands clasped between his legs. "That…the King would ask for you to come…and stay there at the castle…"

"Well…you were right," Riku said with a sigh again. "But he said only _after_ I finish my education, meaning college and stuff."

Sora looked up at Riku. "Well…I guess that's better than him saying right now. But…what're you going to do?"

Riku shrugged. "I don't know."

Sora sat up slightly. "You don't know?"

Riku nodded. "Yeah, I mean… I'd like to go out there and learn how to fight better. I'd be a knight in Goofy's army, protect the King and stuff. It'd be really fun."

Sora looked down. "Yeah…"

Riku turned to Sora. "But like I said, I don't know. I can't leave you."

Looking up, Sora smiled slightly. "I don't want you to…but…you should go…"

Riku's blank expression changed to that of surprise and confusion. "What?"

"If you wanna do that, then go ahead. Don't let me stop you." Sora found himself not saying that to Riku's eyes. In his heart, only half of his statement held true. While the boy truly did want all that made his boyfriend happy, but he'd prefer if that was provided only by him and no one else. "I love you enough to let you go, Riku…"

For a few seconds, there was a hush. Suddenly, Riku began laughing. He fell backwards on the bed. "Sora, when did you turn into such a little baby?!"

Sora shot up, angry at such an insult. "Excuse me?!"

Riku's hand was over his eyes as he continued to laugh. "Do you even _know_ how emo that sounded? Has Roxas taken over your way of thinking or anything?"

Caught off guard by such a comment, Sora wasn't exactly sure how to react. He stared down at his laughing boyfriend as his stomach churned with absolute pain knowing that Riku thought he was ridiculous. "Thanks for laughing at my feelings."

"No, it's not that." Riku sat up, wiping his eyes. "I know you love me and all that, but you don't have to say that kind of stuff. It sounds so unlike you."

"Unlike me? What do you mean?" Sora asked.

Riku smiled sweetly at Sora. "You tell me you don't want to stop me, yet I know what you're thinking. I don't need to be connected to your heart to know. I just know because that isn't you. I left you once before and you came after me. If I left again, you wouldn't stay out of my way because you'd do everything possible to subtly get in my way. It's how you've always been since we were kids."

"But I do want you to be happy and if going away makes you happiest, then go," Sora said.

"Now stop that," Riku said a little forcefully. "I don't like hearing that. I know it's not how you really feel. Just say what you really want to say."

Sora looked down at his hands. He liked it better when Riku was laughing at him. While the older boy had a point, the way he was talking right now were unlike him. But it was mainly because the teen didn't want to say anything that would upset his boyfriend. He'd be more than happy to proclaim his selfish desires to keep Riku around with him always and be the only thing in his life that made him happy, seal him away on Destiny Islands forever and have everything remain status quo.

However, he knew that would kill Riku. Sora had known for a long time that his older friend was drunk with curiosity of the outside world and longed to dive right in. Two years ago, he had been the same way. Only, after all the problems he had faced and the enemies he fought, the worlds he had traveled to and the people he met, Sora opted for the nice and stable life that his home world brought. He loved just laying around with Riku or hanging with his friends or sleeping in late rather than jumping up at a moment's notice to fight off some Heartless or Nobody.

How could he make Riku understand that exploring just wasn't in him anymore? The sad thing was, Sora wasn't scared his boyfriend would go out into the universe and never come back, it was the fact that he'd tell Riku how he felt and then be rejected over time; forgotten. That Riku would lose interest knowing that his childhood friend no longer wanted to run around with him to new places.

"It's nothing," Sora said.

Riku shook his head, crossing his arms. "Bull shit. Now tell me."

"Why are you pushing me?" Sora asked bitterly. He was fighting back anything that might slip.

"Because I know you want to say it," Riku said.

"If I wanted to say it, I would have."

"Then why aren't you saying it now?"

"Because it's nothing."

"Sora, I know you better than that."

"Just shut up!" Sora exclaimed.

Riku stood up, angry. "Is this how you want to start the New Year?"

Sora shot up, his rage building. "No, but you won't leave the matter alone! Besides, why should I tell you how I feel?! You'll just _laugh_ at me again and say I'm an emo!"

Riku sighed. "Okay, I'm sorry for laughing. It's just-"

"Stupid, I know. You don't need to tell me." Sora turned to leave, but Riku grabbed him hard. "Ow! Let me go!"

"Don't be this way," Riku said. "You're just tired. You're saying things you'll regret later."

"Then leave me alone." Sora stared at Riku angrily, but the glare was met as well.

"No…," Riku said sternly. Sora sighed, frustrated. "I don't want it to be like this. Why don't you trust me enough to tell me?"

"It's not that I don't trust you," Sora started.

"Then why won't you tell me?" Before Sora could reply, Riku cut him off. "No, let me finish that for you. I wanna see how much I know. Let me guess, there's something that you think is selfish that you want to say, but you think I'll get upset about it or something and then I'll hate you. I won't hate you, Sora. I'll never stop loving you."

Sora dropped his head, once again not able to meet Riku's eyes. "But you'd lose interest…"

"What?" Riku bent over to try and look at Sora's face. "What do you mean?"

Sora chanced a look up at Riku, but quickly looked away. "I don't want to go anymore. I want to stay home. I like being normal and stuff again. I'd prefer to not explore worlds and I know that's not your thing. I know that if I kept you tethered down here, you'd get bored and leave me… Maybe still be my friend, but you certainly wouldn't be my boyfriend anymore."

"I was close." Riku moved in swiftly, kissing Sora deeply. He made sure to press his tongue into the boy's mouth, wanting to hear that soft little noise he always made.

Sora pulled Riku closer to him when his hands cupped the boy's face. Now it was Riku's turn to make a noise back, but this time of surprise. Both stood there, just tasting one another until they separated for air.

"Even if you want to stay home, I will never lose interest in you. If that's what makes you happiest, then I'll go with it," Riku said as he pressed his forehead against Sora's, making sure their eyes were locked. "I mean it. I don't need to explore the worlds anymore. I've seen enough. I'd love to go on a vacation with you or something, but not now. As for the whole job offer, I'll sleep on it…for four years. I have awhile to go until I can reply. I'll just tell the King I'm going to think about it. And I am because it's important."

Sora caressed Riku's face. "But I know you'll be so happy there."

Riku smiled, taking the boy's hand in his. "And I'll be just as happy here as I would be there. You should know that."

The two smiled at one another for a little while, just studying every feature on their significant other. Sora then looked like he was thinking. "Riku, when did you become such a sap?"

Riku burst out laughing, soon followed by Sora's own laughs. "Gee, thanks for laughing at my feelings!"

"Well you laughed at mine!"

"Ah, payback is it?" Riku tickled Sora lightly.

"Hey! No!" Sora protested.

"This is payback for the payback of your payback!" Riku laughed. He continued to tickle Sora until the boy squirmed all the way out of his arms. "Oh no you don't!"

"I'm going to fucking kill you!" Sora panted. He was out of breath from trying to escape Riku and laughing hysterically.

Dodging Riku's attempts to hold him and tickle, Sora ran to the door. He was denied any access as his boyfriend grabbed his arms. He pulled him backwards. "That's the wrong way, darling."

"No! Let me go! Help!" Sora shouted, laughing. "Why are you so mean to me?!"

"Because I love you," Riku laughed. He turned Sora around. "And I want to tickle you."

"No!" Sora laughed, trying to kick at his boyfriend. "Stop it!"

"I'm not even doing anything!"

"You're going to! I know you too well!"

"Oh you know me too well, eh?" Riku smiled egotistically. "Then what am I going to do next?"

"Tickle me?" Sora said nervously.

"Close, but no." Riku's smile widened.

"Oh, then what?" Sora asked curiously.

Riku didn't say anything as he moved in for the kill. He captured Sora's lips with his. His eyes were closed but he knew that the other boy's eyes were closing too. Tension was released as Sora began to relax, his shoulders slumping down and his arm becoming limp in Riku's hold. The older teen's hand moved slowly up towards the boy's neck, crawling up into his hair, and pulling those cute little noises from the younger boy's throat.

Sora's hands worked on their own. They began to fiddle with Riku's shirt, trying to feel that bare skin underneath. The boy ached to feel those muscles and press that skin to his.

"Sora…stop…," Riku whispered. He was soon caught up in another conscience killing kiss. "If you go further, I won't be able to stop."

"Okay…," Sora mumbled, moving his lips to press against Riku's neck. "I'm fine…with that…"

Riku bit his lip as he worked to keep focus. His knees were becoming weak. "No…you're not…"

Sora nodded. He licked his lips before licking Riku's neck. He liked the noise that escaped the older boy's mouth on accident. "I talked to Roxas…he said it's okay now…"

Riku took a moment to comprehend that and even remember who Roxas was. "Wait…Roxas said…what?"

The older teen had to pull his boyfriend back. "When did he say this?"

"Does it matter? He did." Sora was getting impatient. Riku was considering things, but Sora could tell this would mean they would get nowhere. He decided to just take things into his own hands for once. "Come on, don't you want me?"

Riku chuckled. "It's not a matter of that…"

"Then what's wrong?" Sora pressed. He tried to sound as cute as possible without being annoying or too whiny. Though, Riku kind of liked it when Sora was whiny. It gave him the chance to make things better so the boy no longer whined.

But when Riku began to start talking again, Sora really pushed forward; literally. He pressed himself hard up against his boyfriend showing him that he was serious this time, especially when he began rubbing the older teen through his pants with his own erection. They stood there overcome with a horrible desire to do nothing more than tire one another out with all their sexual desires.

Riku moved fast, pulling Sora's lips up to his. He spun the younger boy around, making him walk backwards with his eyes closed until he found that bed. Once the back of his legs found the mattress, he was forced down where the older teen sat on him eventually laying on him. Riku made sure their lips were never separated. He was practically devouring the younger boy's mouth.

Sora squirmed to get up more on the bed, but found his legs had gone limp and his crotch being straddled. Gasping out for air and a chance to say he wanted his pants off, Sora moaned loudly. He could feel Riku's heart beating hard and fast, skipping every so often, in and against his chest.

Riku complied with those breathless requests, his hands sliding down Sora's legs. The boy noticed that the legs were already spread far enough apart for his body to slip into the mold of the younger teen below him. Smiling to himself, Riku decided he'd take it nice and slow, saving the more animalistic sexual feelings he had for a later time. He would make sure this wasn't their first and only time.

Sora pushed his hands up under Riku's shirt, soon stripping him of the material concealing his abs. Once the boy could see his bare chest, his face flushed as his hands ran all around the older teen's skin. He hadn't even realized that his shirt had been tossed aside as well. He noticed when suddenly he felt a warm tongue moving across his nipple.

"Ah…!" Sora gasped, his nails digging into Riku's skin slightly.

Now it was the pants turn. Those took a little maneuvering as suddenly both boys felt an irresistible need to lick and nibble on one another while at the same time, struggle out of their jeans. Riku pulled his hair back out of his face, sitting up on Sora's lap, finally able to pull free long enough so he could drag the pants all the way free from his boyfriend's legs. Sora froze almost instantly as he felt a warm hand grasp his hard member.

Slowly, Riku began rubbing Sora with his hand, bringing out those little gasps of pure delight that made the older boy blush and pant with desire. The tempo sped up before the younger teen grabbed the hand holding onto his erection.

"No…I don't want it that way… No more foreplay…," Sora whispered through his harsh panting.

Riku looked around. "I need lube."

Sora pulled Riku's face down to his, kissing near his ear. "Do you _really_ think I have lube…?"

"Good point. But does your dad…wait, don't answer that." Riku shook his head. He moved to sit up, but found he was being held down. He tried to kiss Sora, but found the younger teen was occupied with his ear. "Mm…"

That was when the sweetness of the situation took effect. Little words of nothingness were whispered into Riku's ear. Kisses and nips to the skin were exchanged, hands rubbing and caressing, and a softness to the air that made everything seem just right. But it didn't last for too long. They were teenaged boys that had been wanting to let out these emotions for awhile.

Riku resumed the sexual touches and the nice little tongue reminders that yes, they were about to have intercourse. Coming up short with any other alternative, he positioned Sora's hips and legs so he was ready.

"Please, take me."

Well that sure was a good enough reason to skip anything else he might've done to the younger boy. Riku wasted no more cute time warming up Sora and just took him then and there. He heard the boy gasp as he too shuddered, feeling the boy all around him. It took a little while for them both to get accustomed to the new feeling, but soon the small thrusts began.

"Is this…okay…?" Riku asked tentatively, afraid he might be hurting Sora underneath him.

Sora merely nodded, scrapping his nails down the muscles of Riku's bare arms. He started the slow rhythm, rocking back and forth to a tune both felt in their chest that only increased as their hearts sped up. That was when everything became so much more intense. And it was only then that both boys suddenly realized just what they were doing and where they were.

But it didn't even matter. Their eyes opened, they stared lovingly into one another's faces, and entwining their breaths together. Riku pulled Sora up to his chest, changing the position of himself inside the boy, and kissed him hotly. They moaned into each other's mouths, the kiss becoming sloppy. That soon turned into heated licks around one another's necks and ears.

Every moment brought on a new revelation inside the boys that made them realize just why they loved each other. All the years Riku had dreamed of being with Sora in such an intimate way were coming true. He was free to touch him, stroke him, and see him in ways no one else was aloud to. When the older teen had heard his boyfriend say he was ready, something had broken inside him. It was as if the darkness was being released again, only this time he knew his heart was completely fine with this action.

It was always that way in Riku's life. He'd want to act on something and he'd either hide it away and never proceed forward because it would put a stain on someone's reputation, or he'd do as he pleased and somehow have it all fall to pieces. However, whenever he was with Sora, none of that seemed to matter. Even when he was drenched in darkness so steep he couldn't breathe, a part of him knew that it would be okay as long as that smile and those deep blue eyes were there. It was a kind of comfortableness that drew everyone to that boy. But it wasn't until that very moment as they shared the same gasps, moans, and heartbeat that Riku understood that all of that was now his and nothing could take that away.

Sora reciprocated that same feeling. He had felt this inner calmness that brought out the true light he had always felt locked away. During the boy's quest throughout various worlds, he had come to learn just what that light really was. It wasn't what he used to think it was. Before the teen thought it was material items, memories, family, and friends. But it was thanks to his friends and his own inner understanding that he realized that at the end of the day, it was the one he held, the promises he had made to his friends, the bonds that he had created with everyone, and the warmth from those he cherished that made up his light.

The strength that emitted from the Keyblade really did come from his friends, but the extra boost of power that made it all worthwhile and defeated those enemies came from Riku. He had always been searching for him even when his heart, deep down, knew where he had been all along. There was no way that their friendship had been destroyed because of jealousy and petty selfish reasons. Riku was much stronger than that.

Sora fell back onto the bed, pulling Riku on top of him. He screamed his name, arching his back up into him. The older boy pushed as deep as he could, trying desperately to hit that bundle of nerves deep inside his boyfriend as much as possible. Long ago had Riku grabbed a hold of Sora's hard on, pumping it in time with his steady thrusts. They could feel it rise within, only to spill out with cries, and then relaxing on one another like never before.

Sleep came before any of them had a grasp of reality. But neither would've picked any other option. They didn't know what to say to one another after such an intimate event such as that.

But when dawn broke out the following morning, Riku awoke first. He was lying on his back with Sora sleeping comfortably on his chest. The boy stroked the brunette's hair while thinking to himself. Suddenly, he got a strange notion to share his thoughts with his sleeping boyfriend.

Quietly and ever so gently, Riku whispered, "I watch you, fast asleep… All I fear…means nothing…"

Sora smiled as his heart told Riku his own feelings. That was when the older teen felt that inside them, when they held one another, exchanged such passionate kisses, made promises to one another with star shaped fruits, and shared hearts that they went to a new land.

It was their sanctuary; where fears and lies melted away.


End file.
